US H-1B Registrations Drop Sharply as Master’s Degree Holders Gain Edge

Applications for the US H-1B visa programme fell sharply for the 2027 fiscal year, with 211,600 properly filed registrations submitted, compared with 343,981 the previous year, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The decline follows reforms introduced by the Trump administration, including higher application fees and stricter wage requirements. Officials said the changes were intended to prevent misuse of the programme and ensure visas are awarded to highly skilled foreign workers rather than lower-paid applicants. 

USCIS said that “the days of abusing the programme with mass, low-wage registrations are over”. The profile of successful applicants has also changed. USCIS reported that 71.5 percent of selected candidates held US master’s degrees or higher, up from 57 per cent a year earlier. 

The figures indicate that graduates of American universities are accounting for a larger share of successful applications. Salary data showed a similar shift. Only 17.7 percent of approved applications were in the lowest wage category, which officials said reflected efforts to reduce the use of the programme for lower-paid jobs.

The changes have produced mixed reactions. Mark Krikorian of the Centre for Immigration Studies said the reforms were a positive step but argued that the H-1B programme should eventually be abolished. Critics of the system have long claimed that it disadvantages American workers, particularly in the technology industry, where layoffs have increased in recent years.

Others argued that the reforms do not go far enough. Connor O’Brien, a fellow at the Institute for Progress, said a salary-based selection system would better attract highly skilled workers and could generate substantial tax revenue. Entrepreneur Michael Taiwo said higher fees had reduced competition from overseas applicants and improved opportunities for workers already living in the United States.

Although some lawmakers continue to support ending the H-1B programme, USCIS has not indicated that such a move is under consideration. The allocation process for the 2027 fiscal year has been completed, and the next registration period is expected to begin early next year.