More H-1B visas going to US technology companies: Report

Four out of the six high-profile US tech companies were among the top 10 employers for approved H-1B petitions for initial employment in fiscal 2017, a US think-tank has said in its latest report, reflecting the strong demand for high-skilled talent in the US economy.

The National Foundation for American Policy in its latest report on work visa popular among Indian IT workers said four of six high-profile US tech companies Amazon (2,515), Microsoft (1,479), Intel (1,230), and Google (1,213) were among the top 10 employers for approved H-1B petitions for initial employment in FY 2017, Facebook, with 720 new H-1B initial petitions approved in FY 2017, an increase of 248, or 53 per cent, and Apple, with 673, a 7 per cent increase, were 14th and 15th on the list.

According to the report, Amazon had the second most number of H-1B petitions approved for initial employment in FY 2017, with an increase from 1,416 in FY 2016 to 2,515 in FY 2017. Amazon's use of H-1Bs reflects its increased growth in the US, particularly in research and development.

Also, the top H-1B employers among high-profile tech companies match up with the US companies that spend the most on research and development.

In 2017, Amazon spent almost USD 23 billion on R&D, followed by Alphabet (Google) with USD 16.6 billion, Intel with USD 13.1 billion, Microsoft with USD 12.3 billion, Apple with USD 11.6 billion and Facebook with USD 7.8 billion.

Research and development is important to a country's economic growth. It is possible some of the larger tech companies had more success gaining approvals with fewer overall applications submitted for the fiscal 2018 H-1B cap (and subsequent random selection once USCIS received more applications than the annual limit), the report said.