Characteristics of H-1B Specialty 

Occupation Workers

Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report to Congress 

October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017

April 9, 2018

U.S. Citizenship and

Immigration Services
i 

 Office of Legislative Affairs 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

 Washington, DC 20528 

Foreword

April 10, 2018 

On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, I am pleased to present the following report, 

“Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers” for Fiscal Year 2017, prepared by 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

Pursuant to statutory requirements, this report is being provided to the following Members of 

Congress: 

The Honorable Charles E. Grassley 

Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee 

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein 

Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee 

The Honorable Robert W. Goodlatte 

Chairman, House Judiciary Committee 

The Honorable Jerrold Nadler 

Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee 

Inquiries relating to this report may be directed to me at (202) 447-5890. 

Sincerely, 

 

David Wonnenberg 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs 
ii

Executive Summary

The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA), 

Pub. L. 105-277, div. C, tit. IV § 416(c)(2), 112 Stat. 2681, imposes annual reporting 

requirements on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) concerning the countries of 

origin and occupations of, educational levels attained by, and compensation paid to, aliens who 

were issued visas or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) 

of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) during the previous fiscal year (FY).

To fulfill this requirement, USCIS submits the following report for FY 2017, October 1, 2016 –

September 30, 2017.

Highlights

 The number of H-1B petitions filed increased 1.24 percent from 398,718 in FY 2016 to

403,675 in FY 2017.

 The number of H-1B petitions approved increased 5.9 percent from 345,262 in FY 2016 

to 365,682 in FY 2017.

1

 The number of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2017 for workers between the ages of 25 

and 34 was 66.2 percent.

 The number of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2017 for workers with a bachelor’s degree

was 45.2 percent. In addition, 44.5 percent of approved petitions were for workers with a 

master’s degree, 6.8 percent had a doctorate, and 3.3 percent were for workers with a 

professional degree.

 The number of H-1B petitions approved in FY 2017 for workers in computer-related 

occupations was 69.8 percent.

 The median salary of beneficiaries of approved petitions increased from $82,000 for 

FY 2016 to $85,000 for FY 2017.

 

1 This number does not reflect approval versus denial rates, but rather shows the number of approved petitions 

overall this year versus the number approved last year. The figures for Fiscal Year 2017 include petitions that 

were received prior to Fiscal Year 2017, but were approved in Fiscal Year 2017 (see footnote 11). 
iii

Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers

Table of Contents

I. Legislative Requirement......................................................................................................... 1

II. Background............................................................................................................................. 2

III. Data Report............................................................................................................................. 4

Section 3.1 – General distribution of petitions....................................................................... 4

Section 3.2 – Distribution of petitions by country of birth..................................................... 6

Section 3.3 – General distribution of petitions by age ........................................................... 9

Section 3.4 – Distribution of petitions by education .............................................................. 9

Section 3.5 – Distribution of petitions by occupation ............................................................11

Section 3.6 – Distribution of petitions by annual compensation............................................16

Section 3.7 – Distribution of petitions by industry.................................................................19

IV. Appendices.............................................................................................................................22

A. H-1B Petition Processing ..................................................................................................22

B. Data Limitations................................................................................................................23

 
1

I. Legislative Requirement

Section 416(c)(2) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998

(ACWIA), Pub. L. 105-277, div. C, tit. IV, 112 Stat. 2681, includes the following reporting 

requirement:2

[T]he Attorney General3 shall submit on an annual basis, to the Committees on the 

Judiciary of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate, information on 

the countries of origin and occupations of, educational levels attained by, and 

compensation paid to, aliens who were issued visas or otherwise provided nonimmigrant 

status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act during 

the previous fiscal year.

 

2 Sections 416(c)(1) and (3) of ACWIA, Pub. L. 105-277, div. C, tit. IV, 112 Stat. 2681, require the submission of 

data on the number of aliens issued visas or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status pursuant to petitions filed by 

institutions or organizations described in section 212(p)(1) of the INA. This data is included in the “Report on H-1B 

Petitions” for Fiscal Year 2017. 

3 As of March 1, 2003, in accordance with section 1517 of Title XV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA), 

Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, any reference to the Attorney General in a provision of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act describing functions which were transferred from the Attorney General or other Department of 

Justice official to the Department of Homeland Security by the HSA “shall be deemed to refer to the Secretary” of 

Homeland Security. See 6 USC 557 (2003) (codifying HSA, Title XV, § 1517).
2

II. Background

An H-1B temporary worker is an alien admitted to the United States to perform services in a 

“specialty occupation.”4

The H-1B nonimmigrant classification is a vehicle through which employers may obtain workers 

on a temporary basis. Employers may file an H-1B petition for an alien to perform services in a 

specialty occupation, services of an exceptional nature relating to a Department of Defense 

(DOD) cooperative research and development project or coproduction project, or services of 

distinguished merit and ability in the field of fashion modeling. Prior to employing an H-1B 

temporary worker, the U.S. employer must first obtain a certified Labor Condition Application 

(LCA) from the Department of Labor (DOL) and then file a Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker 

(Form I-129) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

5

 The LCA specifies the 

job, salary, length, and geographic location of employment. In addition, to ensure the protection 

of U.S. workers (as well as H-1B workers), the employer must agree to pay the alien the greater 

of the actual wage paid by the employer to other workers with similar experience and 

qualifications or the prevailing wage for the occupation in the area. Certain employers (“H-1B 

dependent” employers and “willful violator” employers) must also recruit U.S. workers before 

seeking H-1B workers.

The position must meet one of the following criteria to qualify as a specialty occupation: 

(1) a bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum entry requirement for 

the position; (2) the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel positions among 

similar organizations or, in the alternative, the position is so complex or unique that it can be 

performed only by an individual with a degree; (3) the employer normally requires a degree or its 

equivalent for the position; or (4) the nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex 

that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with attainment of a 

bachelor’s or higher degree. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(A). 

In order to perform services in a specialty occupation, an alien must meet one of the following 

criteria: (1) hold a U.S. bachelor’s or higher degree as required by the specialty occupation from 

an accredited college or university; (2) possess a foreign degree determined to be equivalent to a 

U.S. bachelor’s or higher degree as required by the specialty occupation from an accredited 

college or university; (3) have any required license or other official permission to practice the 

occupation (for example, architect, surveyor, physical therapist) in the state in which 

employment is sought; or (4) have education, specialized training, or progressively responsible 

experience (or a combination thereof) that is equivalent to completion of a U.S. bachelor’s 

degree or higher in the specialty occupation, and have recognition of expertise through 

progressively responsible positions directly related to the specialty occupation. See 8 CFR 

 

4 Section 214(i)(1) of the INA, 8 USC 1184(i)(1), defines a specialty occupation as “an occupation that requires—

(A) theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge, and (B) attainment of a 

bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in 

the United States.” 

5 An LCA is not required for petitions involving DOD cooperative research and development projects or 

coproduction projects. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(vi)(A)(2). 
3

214.2(h)(4)(iii)(C). Specialty occupations may include, but are not limited to, physicians, 

professors, engineers, and accountants. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(ii).

Although USCIS is responsible for evaluating an alien’s qualifications for the H-1B 

classification and effecting a change of nonimmigrant status for aliens already in the 

United States in another nonimmigrant classification, approval of an H-1B petition does not 

guarantee issuance of an H-1B visa or admission to the United States in H-1B status. The 

responsibility for visa issuance rests primarily with the Department of State (DOS), which 

determines whether a prospective alien employee is eligible for issuance of a visa at a 

U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad after the H-1B petition has been approved by USCIS. 

Determinations of whether to admit an alien in H-1B status are made by U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection at a port of entry. Possession of a visa does not guarantee admission.

An alien generally may be admitted to the United States in H-1B status for a maximum period of 

6 years, see INA 214(g)(4); however, each H-1B petition may only be approved for a maximum 

initial period of admission of 3 years.6 See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(9)(iii)(A)(1). The H-1B petition may 

be used to sponsor an alien for an initial period of H-1B employment or to extend or change the 

authorized stay of an alien previously admitted to the United States in H-1B status or another 

nonimmigrant status. An employer may file the petition to sponsor an alien who currently has 

H-1B nonimmigrant status working for another employer or amend a previously approved 

petition. Therefore, the total number of approved petitions in any given fiscal year may exceed 

the actual number of aliens who are provided nonimmigrant status in the H-1B classification. At 

the end of the six year period, the alien must either change to a different status (if eligible) or 

depart the United States, unless otherwise exempt.

7 USCIS regulations provide that an alien who 

has resided and been physically present outside the United States for at least one year may be 

eligible for a new six-year period of admission in H-1B status. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(A). 

When the H-1B category was enacted in 1990, Congress set a maximum of 65,000 aliens who 

could be issued H-1B visas or otherwise provided H-1B status during each fiscal year. This 

limitation, commonly referred to as the “H-1B cap,” generally does not apply to H-1B petitions 

filed on behalf of certain aliens who have previously been counted against the cap. Thus, 

generally, a petition to extend an H-1B nonimmigrant’s period of stay, change the conditions of 

the H-1B nonimmigrant’s current employment, or request new H-1B employment for an H-1B 

worker already in the United States will not count against the H-1B fiscal year cap. An approved 

petition for initial employment is also exempt from the cap if the petitioner is an institution of 

higher education or nonprofit entity affiliated with or related to an institution of higher 

education, or if the petitioner is a nonprofit research organization or governmental research 

organization. See INA 214(g)(5)(A)-(B), 8 USC 1184(g)(5)(A)-(B).

The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) and The

American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21), made significant 

 

6 An alien involved in DOD cooperative research and development projects or coproduction projects may be 

admitted to the United States in H-1B status for a maximum period of 10 years, see 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(B); 

however, the H-1B petition may only be approved for a maximum period of 5 years. See 8 CFR 

214.2(h)(9)(iii)(A)(2).

7 Certain aliens are exempt from the 6 year maximum period of admission under the provisions of the American 

Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21), Pub. L. 106-313, 114 Stat. 1251. 
4

changes to policy and procedure governing the H-1B classification, including providing 

temporary increases in the fiscal year limitations on the number of aliens who may be issued 

H-1B visas or otherwise provided H-1B status and providing certain exemptions to these 

limitations. Under ACWIA, the annual ceiling was increased from 65,000 to 115,000 in Fiscal 

Years (FY) 1999 and 2000 and to 107,500 in FY 2001. AC21 raised the limit in FY 2001, 

FY 2002 and FY 2003 to 195,000. Starting in FY 2004, the H-1B cap reverted to 65,000 per 

fiscal year and remains at that level.8 These statutory provisions also provided for certain 

exemptions from the fiscal year H-1B cap, as described above. The H-1B Visa Reform Act of 

2004 mandated that up to 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of aliens with U.S.-earned 

masters, or higher, degrees will be exempt from each fiscal year’s H-1B cap. See INA 

214(g)(5)(C), 8 USC 1184(g)(5)(C).

III. Data Report

Section 3.1 – General distribution of petitions

During FY 2017, USCIS approved 365,682 H-1B petitions submitted by employers on behalf of 

alien workers. The number of approved petitions exceeds the number of individual H-1B 

workers sponsored because of the different types of petitions that can be filed (e.g., requests for 

concurrent employment with another employer, requests for extension of stay, amended 

petitions). 

Table 1 shows for FYs 2014 to 2017 the number of petitions filed for initial and continuing 

employment and the number of petitions approved for initial and continuing employment. Of the 

petitions approved in 2017, a total of 108,101 petitions, or 29.5 percent, were for initial 

employment.9 The corresponding number of petitions for continuing employment was 257,581.

10

 

A worker may have had a second (or subsequent) petition filed on his or her behalf to: 1) extend 

the period allowed to work with his or her current employer; 2) notify USCIS of changes in the 

conditions of employment, including a change of employer; or 3) request concurrent H-1B status 

with another employer.

 

8 Each fiscal year, up to 1,400 H-1B visa numbers are set aside for nationals of Chile and up to 5,400 are set aside 

for nationals of Singapore under the provisions of free trade agreements between the United States and each country. 

See INA 214(g)(8)(B)(ii), 8 USC 1184(g)(8)(B)(ii). In addition, there is a limit of no more than 100 aliens in the 

United States at any time performing services in a DOD cooperative research and development project or 

coproduction project. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(i)(B).

9 The terms “initial employment” and “continuing employment” are used throughout this report to identify two types 

of petitions. Petitions for initial employment are filed for first-time H-1B employment with an employer, only some 

of which are applied to the annual cap. Examples of petitions for initial employment that are exempt from the cap 

include petitions submitted by nonprofit research organizations or governmental research organizations. Continuing 

employment petitions refer to extensions, sequential employment and concurrent employment, which are filed for 

aliens already in the United States. Extensions generally are filed forH-1B workers intending to work beyond the 

initial 3 year period up to a total of 6 years, the maximum period generally permissible under law. Sequential 

employment refers to petitions for workers transferring between H-1B employers within the 6 year period. Finally, 

petitions for concurrent employment are filed for H-1B workers intending to work simultaneously for an additional

H-1B employer.

10 Neither AC21 nor prior legislation established a cap on H-1B petitions for continuing employment.
5

The number of H-1B petitions filed increased by 1.24 percent and petitions approved increased 

by 5.9 percent between FYs 2016 and 2017. For initial employment, petitions filed decreased by 

7 percent and petitions approved decreased by 5.6 percent. Petitions filed for continuing 

employment increased by 5.9 percent and petitions approved increased by 11.6 percent.

Table 1. H-1B Petitions Filed and Approved by Type of Petition:

FYs 2014 to 2017

FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

Petitions filed 318,824 348,669 398,718 403,675

Initial Employment 127,205 136,042 144,583 134,348

Continuing Employment 191,619 212,627 254,135 269,327

Petitions approved11 315,857 275,317 345,262 365,682

Initial Employment 124,326 113,603 114,503 108,101

Continuing Employment 191,531 161,714 230,759 257,581

Table 2 shows the number of H-1B petitions filed by quarter in FYs 2014 to 2017. A total of 

76 percent of all FY 2017 initial employment filings occurred in the third quarter when the capsubject petition filing season opened. 

Table 2. H-1B Petitions Filed by Quarter:

FYs 2014 to 2017

Quarter FY

2014

FY

2015

FY

2016

FY

2017

FY 2017

Initial

Employment

Percent

of Total

FY 2017

Continuing

Employment

Percent

of Total

Total 318,824 348,669 398,718 403,675 134,348 100 269,327 100

October-December 45,211 51,964 64,721 65,108 9,696 7 55,412 21

January-March 42,781 46,088 66,715 97,219 15,256 11 81,963 30

April-June 158,623 176,042 185,782 169,471 102,569 76 66,902 25

July-September 72,709 74,575 81,500 71,877 6,827 5 65,050 24

Note: Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

 

11 These figures represent all approved petitions during the respective fiscal year, irrespective of whether the petition 

was filed in the same or in a previous fiscal year. 
6

Table 3 provides a breakdown of approved petitions in FYs 2014 to 2017 by type of petition. In 

FY 2017, 108,101 H-1B beneficiaries were approved for initial employment and 257,581 were 

approved for continuing employment. 

The number of aliens outside the United States approved for initial employment remained 

relatively constant at 58,896 in FY 2016 to 60,511 in FY 2017. The corresponding number of 

petitions approved for aliens in the United States requesting a change to H-1B status decreased 

from 55,607 in FY 2016 to 47,590 in FY 2017.

Table 3. H-1B Petitions Approved by Type:

FYs 2014 to 2017

 Petitions Approved

Type of Petition FY2014 Percent FY2015 Percent FY2016 Percent FY2017 Percent

Total 315,857 100 275,317 100 345,262 100 365,682 100

Initial 

employment 124,326 39 113,603 41 114,503 33 108,101 30

Aliens outside U.S. 68,390 22 62,656 23 58,896 17 60,511 17

 

Aliens in U.S. 55,936 18 50,947 19 55,607 16 47,590 13

Continuing 

employment 191,531 61 161,714 59 230,759 67 257,581 70

Note: Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Section 3.2 – Distribution of petitions by country of birth

Tables 4A and 4B show the distribution of beneficiaries by country of birth.12 Of the H-1B 

petitions approved in FY 2017, 75.6 percent reported that the beneficiary was born in India. The 

second most prevalent country of birth of H-1B beneficiaries was the People’s Republic of 

China, representing 9.4 percent of all beneficiaries. The number of beneficiaries from India 

approved for initial employment decreased by 4.1 percent in FY 2017, while the number of 

beneficiaries approved for continuing employment increased by 12.5 percent in FY 2017.

 

12 Data represent countries and territories of birth.
7

Table 4A. H-1B Petitions Approved by Country of Birth of Beneficiary and Type of 

Petition (Number): FYs 2016 and 2017

All Beneficiaries Initial Employment Continuing 

Employment

Country of Birth FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017

Number Number Number Number Number Number

Total 345,262 365,682 114,503 108,101 230,759 257,581

India 256,226 276,423 70,737 67,815 185,489 208,608

China, People's Republic Of 31,995 34,477 16,781 15,165 15,214 19,312

Canada 3,442 3,758 1,781 2,226 1,661 1,532

Philippines 3,822 3,735 1,226 1,295 2,596 2,440

Korea, South 3,620 3,307 1,857 1,442 1,763 1,865

Mexico 2,104 2,365 940 1,285 1,164 1,080

Taiwan 2,208 2,144 1,239 1,052 969 1,092

United Kingdom 2,135 1,882 967 833 1,168 1,049

Pakistan 1,694 1,643 725 694 969 949

France 1,841 1,542 879 721 962 821

Brazil 1,528 1,501 842 786 686 715

Iran 1,250 1,390 784 814 466 576

Turkey 1,360 1,289 662 571 698 718

Nepal 1,501 1,279 603 462 898 817

Germany 1,377 1,272 732 633 645 639

Japan 1,413 1,269 560 459 853 810

Italy 1,108 1,019 608 501 500 518

Russia 1,040 942 542 463 498 479

Spain 978 942 539 450 439 492

Colombia 976 907 442 375 534 532

Venezuela 1,066 900 483 317 583 583

Other countries 22,578 21,696 10,574 9,742 12,004 11,954

Note: Countries of birth are ranked based on FY 2017 data.
8

Table 4B. H-1B Petitions Approved by Country of Birth of Beneficiary and Type of 

Petition (Percent): FYs 2016 and 2017

All Beneficiaries Initial Employment Continuing 

Employment

Country of Birth FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017

Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent

Total ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------

Country of birth 100 100 100 100 100 100

India 74.2 75.6 61.8 62.7 80.4 81.0

China, People's Republic Of 9.3 9.4 14.7 14.0 6.6 7.5

Canada 1.0 1.0 1.6 2.1 0.7 0.6

Philippines 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.9

Korea, South 1.0 0.9 1.6 1.3 0.8 0.7

Mexico 0.6 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.5 0.4

Taiwan 0.6 0.6 1.1 1.0 0.4 0.4

United Kingdom 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.4

Pakistan 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4

France 0.5 0.4 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.3

Brazil 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.3

Iran 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.2 0.2

Turkey 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.3

Nepal 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3

Germany 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.2

Japan 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3

Italy 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.2

Russia

Spain

0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2

0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2

Colombia 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2

Venezuela 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2

Other countries 6.5 5.9 9.2 9.0 5.2 4.6

Notes: Countries of birth are ranked based on FY 2017 data.

Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.
9

Section 3.3 – Distribution of petitions by age

Table 5 shows the age distribution of the H-1B beneficiaries in FY 2017 by type of petition. At 

the time their petitions were approved, 66.2 percent of workers granted H-1B statuses during 

FY 2017 were between 25 and 34 years of age. Of initial beneficiaries, 44.5 percent were under

age 30, compared with 21.5 percent of continuing beneficiaries under age 30.

Table 5. H-1B Petitions Approved by Age of Beneficiary at Time of Approval

and by Type of Petition: FY 2017

Age All

Beneficiaries Percent InitialEmployment Percent Continuing Employment Percent

Total 365,682 108,101 257,581

Age known 365,579 100 108,052 100 257,527 100

Under 20 16 0.00 7 0.01 9 0.00

20-24 8,482 2.32 7,155 6.62 1,327 0.52

25-29 95,210 26.04 40,968 37.92 54,242 21.06

30-34 146,956 40.20 34,913 32.31 112,043 43.51

35-39 80,019 21.89 16,668 15.43 63,351 24.60

40-44 25,004 6.84 5,420 5.02 19,584 7.60

45-49 6,605 1.81 1,772 1.64 4,833 1.88

50-54 2,101 0.57 683 0.63 1,418 0.55

55-59 770 0.21 279 0.26 491 0.19

60-64 286 0.08 120 0.11 166 0.06

65 and over 130 0.04 67 0.06 63 0.02

Age unknown 103 ------ 49 ------ 54 ------

Notes: Anyone reported as under 16 years old and not a fashion model was assumed to be of unknown age.

Age of beneficiary is calculated based on the date the petition was approved.

Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

 Percentages shown in the table are based on the total number of approved petitions with known ages.

Section 3.4 – Distribution of petitions by education

Tables 6 and 7 show the highest level of education achieved by the beneficiaries at the time of 

filing the petition. Employers are asked to provide the highest degree (domestic or foreign)

when completing the H-1B petition, but not training or experience deemed equivalent to a 

degree. The reporting of a domestic or foreign degree is not required in a standard format on 

USCIS or DOL forms. However, in nearly all cases, the petitioning employer provides the 

information in supporting documentation. For degrees earned outside the United States, the 

employer usually supplies a credential evaluation stating that the foreign degree is “equivalent 

to” a particular U.S. degree. USCIS does not maintain separate data regarding whether the 
10

degree was earned in the United States or abroad. (Data on beneficiaries with U.S. advanced 

degrees has been available since May 2005.) 

The breakdown of the highest level of education achieved by H-1B beneficiaries remained 

mostly constant between FYs 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. As shown in Table 6, 45 percent of 

all H-1B petitions approved for workers in FY 2017 reported that the beneficiary had earned the 

equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, 44 percent a master’s degree, 7 percent a doctorate, and 

3 percent a professional degree. 

Table 6. Percent of H-1B Petitions Approved by Level of Education:

FYs 2014-2017

Level of Education FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

Education known 100 100 100 100

Less than a Bachelor's degree 1 1 1 1

Bachelor's degree 45 45 44 45

Master's degree 43 44 45 44

Doctorate degree 8 7 7 7

Professional degree 4 3 3 3

Note: Sum of percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Table 7. H-1B Petitions Approved by Level of Education of Beneficiary

and Type of Petition: Fiscal Year 2017

Level of Education All

Be

Percent Initial

Employment

Percent Continuing

mpoyment

Percent

Beneficiaries Employment Employment

Total 365,682 108,101 257,581

Education known 365,634 100 108,087 100 257,547 100

No high school diploma 30 0.01 15 0.01 15 0.01

High school graduate 107 0.03 50 0.05 57 0.02

Less than 1 year of college credit 17 0.00 3 0.00 14 0.01

1 or more years of college credit, no 

diploma

173 0.05 57 0.05 116 0.05

Associate's degree 171 0.05 46 0.04 125 0.05

Bachelor's degree 165,276 45.20 46,937 43.43 118,339 45.95

Master's degree 162,803 44.53 45,405 42.01 117,398 45.58

Doctorate degree 24,987 6.83 11,704 10.83 13,283 5.16

Professional degree 12,070 3.30 3,870 3.58 8,200 3.18

Education unknown 48 ------- 14 ------ 34 ------

Notes: Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Percentages shown in the table are based on the number of approved petitions with known levels of 

education.
11

Section 3.5 – Distribution of petitions by occupation

Occupational Category

Tables 8A and 8B show the distribution of beneficiaries by occupational category for FYs 2016

and 2017. The category of computer-related occupations was the largest occupational category 

in 2016 and 2017; its share of total petitions approved was 69.8 percent in FY 2017. The 

corresponding shares for initial employment and continuing employment in computer-related

occupations were 62.0 and 73.1 percent, respectively. The top 10 occupational categories 

representing 98.9 percent of all beneficiaries had more continuing employment than initial

employment beneficiaries.

The number of H-1B petitions approved for workers in computer-related occupations increased

by 6.6 percent from 237,837 in 2016 to 254,592 in 2017. The number of H-1B petitions for all 

other occupation groups increased by 3.4 percent from 106,418 in 2016 to 110,009 in 2017.
12

Table 8A. H-1B Petitions Approved by Major Occupation Group of Beneficiary and Type 

of Petition (Number): Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017

All

Beneficiaries

Initial

Employment

Continuing

Employment

Occupational Category FY2016 FY2017 FY2016 FY2017 FY2016 FY2017

Number Number Number Number Number Number

Total 345,262 365,682 114,503 108,101 230,759 257,581

Occupation known 344,255 364,601 114,130 107,736 230,125 256,865

Computer-related occupations 237,837 254,592 69,846 66,848 167,991 187,744

Occupations in Architecture, Engineering

and Surveying 27,836 29,210 10,243 10,510 17,593 18,700

Occupations in Administrative 

Specializations 19,144 20,544 7,824 6,711 11,320 13,833

Occupations in Education 18,090 18,686 9,414 8,238 8,676 10,448

Occupations in Medicine and Health 14,178 14,884 4,979 4,696 9,199 10,188

Occupations in Mathematics and Physical 

Sciences 6,281 6,869 2,786 2,750 3,495 4,119

Managers and Officials N.E.C.* 4,830 4,284 2,517 1,398 2,313 2,886

Occupations in Life Sciences 4,580 5,054 1,533 2,314 3,047 2,740

Occupations in Social Sciences 3,898 2,993 1,502 1,196 2,396 1,797

Miscellaneous Professional, Technical and 

Managerial 3,470 3,635 1,622 1,325 1,848 2,310

Occupations in Art 2,087 1,982 904 865 1,183 1,117

Occupations in Law and Jurisprudence 912 947 445 501 467 446

Occupations in Writing 421 345 182 144 239 201

Miscellaneous13 320 265 140 96 180 169

Occupations in Entertainment and Recreation 148 104 78 42 70 62

Occupations in Museum, Library and 

Archival Sciences 138 139 67 70 71 69

Occupations in Religion and Theology 70 61 36 27 34 34

Sales Promotion Occupations 15 7 12 5 3 2

Occupation unknown14 1,007 1,081 373 365 634 716

Notes: Occupations ranked based on FY 2016 data.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.

 

13 The Miscellaneous category is a Major Occupation Group whose numbers are derived from the Detailed 

Occupations listed in Table 9A. A full listing of the Major Occupation Groups and the corresponding Detailed 

Occupations can be found in Form M-746, I-129 Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) Codes 

(http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/m-746.pdf).

14 The data in this chart is pulled from information captured on the Form I-129. In some instances a petitioner will 

leave the beneficiary’s job code blank, which we report here as “Occupation unknown.” This generally means that 

the position could not be classified under one of the provided occupational categories; it does not mean that the 

position is unknown or that the position is or is not a specialty occupation.
13

Table 8B. H-1B Petitions Approved by Major Occupation Group of Beneficiary and Type 

of Petition (Percent): FYs 2016 and 2017

All 

Beneficiaries

Initial

Employment

Continuing 

Employment

Occupational Category FY2016

Numbe

r

FY2017

Numbe

r

FY2016

Numbe

r

FY2017

Numbe

r

FY2016

Numbe

r

FY2017

Number

Occupation known 100 100 100 100 100 100

Computer-related occupations 69.1 69.8 61.2 62.0 73.0 73.1

Occupations in Architecture, Engineering and 

Surveying 8.1 8.0 9.0 9.8 7.6 7.3

Occupations in Administrative Specializations 5.6 5.6 6.9 6.2 4.9 5.4

Occupations in Education 5.3 5.1 8.2 7.6 3.8 4.1

Occupations in Medicine and Health 4.1 4.1 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.0

Occupations in Mathematics and Physical Sciences 1.8 1.9 2.4 2.6 1.5 1.6

Managers and Officials N.E.C.* 1.4 1.2 2.2 1.3 1.0 1.1

Occupations in Life Sciences 1.3 1.4 1.3 2.1 1.3 1.1

Occupations in Social Sciences 1.1 0.8 1.3 1.1 1.0 0.7

Miscellaneous Professional, Technical and Managerial 1.0 1.0 1.4 1.2 0.8 0.9

Occupations in Art 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.4

Occupations in Law and Jurisprudence 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.2

Occupations in Writing 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1

Miscellaneous 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Occupations in Entertainment and Recreation 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Occupations in Museum, Library, & Archival Sciences 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Occupations in Religion and Theology 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Sales Promotion Occupations 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Occupation unknown 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Notes: Occupations ranked based on FY 2016 data. 

Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Percentages shown in the table are based on the total number of petitions approved with known 

occupations.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.
14

Detailed Occupation

Tables 9A and 9B indicate the distribution of beneficiaries by detailed occupational category in 

FYs 2016 and 2017. Each table shows occupations arranged in descending order by the total 

number of beneficiaries approved in FY 2016 and FY 2017. The list is limited to the top 20 

categories. Of approved petitions in 2017, 62 percent were for aliens working in occupations in

systems analysis and programming. The second largest category was computer-related 

occupations.

Table 9A. H-1B Petitions Approved by Detailed Occupation of Beneficiary and Type of 

Petition (Number): FYs 2016 and 2017

All

Beneficiaries

Initial

Employment

Continuing 

Employment

Occupational Category FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017

Number Number Number Number Number Number

Total 345,262 365,682 113,503 108,101 230,759 257,581

Occupation known 345,233 364,601 114,501 107,736 230,732 250,153

Occupations in Systems Analysis and Programming 203,025 219,855 60,385 58,374 142,640 161,481

Computer-Related Occupations, N.E.C.* 29,342 29,533 7,694 6,805 21,648 22,728

Occupations in College and University Education 14,672 15,772 8,158 7,324 6,514 8,448

Electrical/Electronics Engineering Occupations 10,972 11,840 3,538 3,969 7,434 7,871

Accountants, Auditors and Related Occupations 7,825 8,407 3,499 3,020 4,326 5,387

Physicians and Surgeons 7,329 7,704 2,427 2,227 4,902 5,477

Mechanical Engineering Occupations 5,523 5,780 2,086 2,029 3,437 3,751

Occupations in Architecture, Engineering and 

Surveying, N.E.C.* 3,715 9,079 1,482 3,589 2,233 5,490

Occupations in Administrative Specializations, N.E.C.* 3,673 6,489 1,403 2,121 2,321 4,368

Budget and Management Systems Analysis Occupations 4,637 5,648 1,781 1,570 2,856 4,078

Misc. Professional, Technical and Managerial

Occupations, N.E.C.* 3,692 3,635 1,403 1,325 2,289 2,310

Occupations in Biological Sciences 3,705 3,896 2,008 1,840 1,697 2,056

Occupations in Economics 3,051 2,565 1,378 970 1,673 1,595

Occupations in Medicine and Health, N.E.C.* 2,482 4,942 1,137 1,927 1,345 3,015

Occupations in Computer System Technical Support 2,902 2,945 867 950 2,035 1,995

Miscellaneous Managers and Officials, N.E.C.* 3,692 4,284 704 1,398 1,575 2,886

Industrial Engineering Occupations 2,350 2,511 905 923 1,445 1,588

Occupations in Data Communications and Networks 2,233 2,259 805 719 1,428 1,540

Occupations in Mathematics 3,308 3,952 1,486 1,559 1,822 2,393

Therapists 2,014 2,238 522 542 1,462 1,696

Other Occupations 25,091 11,267 10,833 4,555 15,650 6,712

Occupation Unknown 29 1,081 2 365 7 716

Notes: Occupations ranked based on FY 2016 data.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.
15

Table 9B. H-1B Petitions Approved by Detailed Occupation of Beneficiary

and Type of Petition (Percent): FYs 2016 and 2017

All

Beneficiaries

Initial

Employment

Continuing 

Employment

Occupational Category FY 

2016

FY 

2017

FY 

2016

FY 

2017

FY 

2016

FY 

2017

Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent

Total ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------

Occupation known 100 100 100 100 100 100

Occupations in Systems Analysis and 

Programming 58.8 62.2 52.7 56.6 61.8 64.6

Computer-Related Occupations, N.E.C.* 8.5 8.4 6.7 6.6 9.4 9.1

Occupations in College and University 

Education 4.2 4.5 7.1 7.1 2.8 3.4

Electrical/Electronics Engineering Occupations 3.2 3.4 3.1 3.8 3.2 3.1

Accountants, Auditors and Related Occupations 2.1 2.4 3.1 2.9 1.9 2.2

Physicians and Surgeons 1.6 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.2

Mechanical Engineering Occupations 1.7 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.5 1.5

Occupations in Architecture, Engineering and 

Surveying, N.E.C.* 1.1 2.6 1.3 3.5 1.0 2.2

Occupations in Administrative Specializations, 

N.E.C.* 1.1 1.8 1.2 2.1 1.0 1.7

Budget and Management Systems Analysis

Occupations 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.2 1.6

Misc. Professional, Technical and Managerial

Occupations, N.E.C.* 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.0 0.9

Occupations in Biological Sciences 1.1 1.1 1.8 1.8 0.7 0.8

Occupations in Economics 0.9 0.7 1.2 0.9 0.7 0.6

Occupations in Medicine and Health, N.E.C.* 0.7 1.4 1.0 1.9 0.6 1.2

Occupations in Computer System Technical 

Support 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.8

Miscellaneous Managers and Officials, N.E.C.* 0.7 1.2 0.6 1.4 0.7 1.2

Industrial Engineering Occupations 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.6

Occupations in Data Communications and 

Networks 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6

Occupations in Mathematics 0.2 1.1 0.3 1.5 0.2 1.0

Therapists 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.7

Other Occupations 8.9 3.2 10.4 4.4 7.5 2.7

Occupation Unknown 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.3

Notes: Occupations ranked based on FY 2016 data.

Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Percentages shown in the table are based on the total number of petitions approved with known occupation

* N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.
16

Section 3.6 – Distribution of petitions by annual compensation15

Tables 10, 11 and 12 show compensation by occupation for beneficiaries of all, initial, and 

continuing employment, respectively. Each table shows occupations arranged in descending 

order by the total number of beneficiaries approved in FY 2017. As shown in Table 10, the 

median annual compensation reported by employers of H-1B workers approved for employment 

during FY 2017 was $85,000. The median annual compensation was $82,000 in FY 2016. 

Median compensation ranged from a low of $39,000 for occupations in sale promotion 

occupations to a high of $135,000 for law and jurisprudence occupations. 

Table 10. Annual Compensation ($) of All H-1B Beneficiaries by Major Occupation 

Group: FY 2017 (Approvals)16

Total 25th Median Mean 75th

Occupation Reported Percentile Percentile

Total 365,672 69,000 85,000 94,000 110,000

Known Occupations with annual compensation 364,597 69,000 85,000 94,000 110,000

Computer-Related Occupations 254,590 71,000 85,000 93,000 109,000

Occupations In Architecture, Engineering and Surveying 29,210 73,000 90,000 96,000 113,000

Occupations In Administrative Specializations 20,544 61,000 83,000 93,000 115,000

Occupations In Education 18,685 48,000 59,000 72,000 80,000

Occupations In Medicine and Health 14,883 60,000 86,000 134,000 198,000

Occupations In Mathematics and Physical Sciences 6,869 70,000 90,000 96,000 115,000

Occupations In Life Sciences 5,054 50,000 60,000 70,000 81,000

Managers And Officials, N.E.C.* 4,284 80,000 112,000 120,000 143,000

Miscellaneous Professional, Technical and Managerial 

Occupations 3,635 79,000 109,000 113,000 145,000

Occupations In Social Sciences 2,993 60,000 85,000 96,000 120,000

Occupations In Art 1,982 55,000 65,000 74,000 88,000

Occupations In Law And Jurisprudence 947 64,000 135,000 137,000 188,000

Occupations In Writing 345 39,000 60,000 67,000 84,000

Miscellaneous 265 38,000 52,000 62,000 69,000

Occupations In Museum, Library and Archival Sciences 139 48,000 65,000 78,000 97,000

Occupations In Entertainment and Recreation 104 33,000 47,000 59,000 69,000

Occupations In Religion and Theology 61 35,000 51,000 59,000 66,000

Sale Promotion Occupations 7 - 39,000 46,000 78,000

Occupation unknown 1,075 55,000 75,000 86,000 100,000

Notes: Occupations ranked by number of beneficiaries.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.

Definitions: Median is the middle ranking value (50th percentile) of all values. 

Mean is the average of all values.

25th percentile and 75th percentile are the lower quarter and upper quarter ranking values, respectively. 

 

15 Annual compensation refers to what the employer agreed to pay the beneficiary at the time the application was filed. The amount 

excludes non-cash compensation and benefits such as health insurance and transportation. Further, compensation is based on full-time 

employment for 12 months, even if the beneficiary worked fewer than 12 months.

16 The Fiscal Year 2012 report reflects detailed occupational groups, whereas the Fiscal Year 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

and 2017 reports reflect major occupational groups, which capture data on the general categories of H-1B positions. 
17

As revealed in Tables 11 and 12, beneficiaries for continuing employment reported higher annual 

compensation than did beneficiaries for initial employment. In FY 2017, workers approved for 

continuing employment and initial employment reported median annual compensation of 

$90,000 and $75,000, respectively. 

Table 11. Annual Compensation ($) of H-1B Beneficiaries for Initial Employment

by Major Occupation Group: FY 2017 (Approvals)17

Total 25th Median Mean 75th

Occupation Reported Percentile Percentile

Total 108,100 63,000 75,000 86,000 100,000

Known Occupations with annual compensation 107,735 63,000 75,000 86,000 100,000

Computer-Related Occupations 66,848 66,000 76,000 85,000 98,000

Occupations In Architecture, Engineering and 

Surveying 10,510 65,000 81,000 88,000 104,000

Occupations In Education 8,238 48,000 58,000 71,000 80,000

Occupations In Administrative Specializations 6,711 55,000 70,000 82,000 100,000

Occupations In Medicine And Health 4,695 55,000 73,000 130,000 190,000

Occupations In Mathematics And Physical Sciences 2,750 65,000 81,000 89,000 108,000

Occupations In Life Sciences 2,314 48,000 55,000 65,000 73,000

Managers And Officials, N.E.C.* 1,398 72,000 100,000 112,000 130,000

Miscellaneous Professional, Technical and Managerial 

Occupations 1,325 71,000 95,000 103,000 128,000

Occupations In Social Sciences 1,196 55,000 78,000 90,000 115,000

Occupations In Art 865 50,000 61,000 71,000 83,000

Occupations In Law And Jurisprudence 501 66,000 160,000 138,000 180,000

Occupations In Writing 144 37,000 54,000 58,000 72,000

Miscellaneous 96 34,000 45,000 64,000 64,000

Occupations In Museum, Library and Archival 

Sciences 70 42,000 66,000 83,000 115,000

Occupations In Entertainment And Recreation 42 36,000 47,000 55,000 60,000

Occupations In Religion And Theology 27 30,000 42,000 43,000 55,000

Sale Promotion Occupations 5 - - 34,000 39,000

Occupation unknown 365 50,000 65,000 75,000 83,000

Notes: Occupations ranked by the number of beneficiaries.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.

Definitions: Median is the middle ranking value (50th percentile) of all values. 

Mean is the average of all values.

25th percentile and 75th percentile are the lower quarter and upper quarter ranking values, respectively.

 

17 The FY 2012 report reflects detailed occupational groups, whereas the FY 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 

and 2017 reports reflect major occupational groups, which capture data on the general categories of H-1B positions.
18

Table 12. Annual Compensation ($) of H-1B Beneficiaries for Continuing Employment by 

Major Occupation Group: FY 2017 (Approvals)18

Total 25th Median Mean 75th

Occupation Reported Percentile Percentile

Total 257,572 73,000 90,000 98,000 114,000

Known Occupations with annual compensation 256,862 73,000 90,000 98,000 114,000

Computer-Related Occupations 187,742 75,000 90,000 96,000 111,000

Occupations In Architecture, Engineering and 

Surveying 18,700 79,000 95,000 101,000 118,000

Occupations In Administrative Specializations 13,833 66,000 89,000 98,000 122,000

Occupations In Education 10,447 48,000 60,000 72,000 80,000

Occupations In Medicine And Health 10,188 62,000 92,000 136,000 200,000

Occupations In Mathematics And Physical Sciences 4,119 76,000 96,000 102,000 120,000

Managers And Officials, N.E.C.* 2,886 85,000 117,000 124,000 149,000

Occupations In Life Sciences 2,740 52,000 64,000 73,000 89,000

Miscellaneous Professional, Technical and 

Managerial Occupations 2,310 84,000 115,000 119,000 151,000

Occupations In Social Sciences 1,797 65,000 92,000 101,000 124,000

Occupations In Art 1,117 60,000 69,000 77,000 90,000

Occupations In Law And Jurisprudence 446 62,000 110,000 136,000 205,000

Occupations In Writing 201 41,000 65,000 74,000 91,000

Miscellaneous 169 40,000 55,000 61,000 70,000

Occupations In Museum, Library and Archival 

Sciences 69 48,000 63,000 73,000 85,000

Occupations In Entertainment And Recreation 62 27,000 50,000 61,000 87,000

Occupations In Religion And Theology 34 41,000 64,000 72,000 88,000

Sale Promotion Occupations 2 78,000 78,000 78,000 78,000

Occupation unknown 710 61,000 82,000 91,000 105,000

Notes: Occupations ranked by the number of beneficiaries.

*N.E.C. indicates not elsewhere classified.

Definitions: Median is the middle ranking value (50th percentile) of all values. 

Mean is the average of all values.

25

th percentile and 75th percentile are the lower quarter and upper quarter ranking values, respectively.

 

18 The FY 2012 report reflects detailed occupational groups, whereas the FY 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

and 2017 reports reflect major occupational groups, which capture data on the general categories of H-1B positions.
19

Section 3.7 – Distribution of petitions by industry

Tables 13A and 13B show the top industries that employed H-1B workers in FY 2017. Industry 

data are collected using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The top

industries listed in Tables 13A and 13B represent over 75 percent of H-1B workers approved for 

all known industry categories as determined by the NAICS code entered on Form I-129.19 The 

number of workers approved for all known industries increased by 6.8 percent from 318,093 in 

FY 2016 to 339,604 in FY 2017. 

 

19 The remaining known industries for which H-1B workers were approved are captured in the “Other Industries” 

category in Tables 13A and 13B. For FY 2016 and FY 2017, H-1B workers were approved for just over 1,400 

unique industry categories as determined by the NAICS code entered on the Form I-129. Unlike country of birth, 

age, education, and occupation, USCIS does not verify the NAICS code. 
20

Table 13A. H-1B Petitions Approved by Detailed Industry and Type of Petition 

(Number) FYs 2016 and 2017

 

Notes: Industries ranked by total beneficiaries in FY 2016.

NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System.

Table 13B. H-1B Petitions Approved by Detailed Industry and Type of Petition 

(Percent) FYs 2016 and 2017

 

20 See footnote 19.

 

All

Beneficiaries

Initial 

Employment

Continuing 

Employment

FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2016 FY 2017

Industry Number Number Number Number Number Number

Total 345,262 365,682 114,503 108,101 230,759 257,581

Industry known 318,093 339,604 104,923 99,137 213,170 240,467

Custom Computer Programming 

Services 114,299 116,844 36,048 32,063 78,251 84,781

Computer System Design Services 36,773 43,784 10,060 11,240 26,713 32,544

Colleges, Universities and

Professional Schools 18,696 19,843 10,254 9,063 8,442 10,780

Software Publishers 8,805 9,389 2,959 3,190 5,846 6,199

Computer Systems Design and

Related Services 8,727 10,054 3,190 2,952 5,537 7,102

Engineering Services 7,173 7,457 2,735 2,904 4,438 4,553

Other Computer Related Services 6,583 6,358 1,882 1,643 4,701 4,715

General Medical and Surgical 

Hospitals 5,483 6,199 2,239 2,055 3,604 4,144

Management, Scientific and

Technical Consulting Services 4,911 6,026 1,699 1,102 3,212 4,924

Electronic Computer Manufacturing 4,510 4,582 1,324 1,500 3,186 3,082

Investment Banking and Securities

Dealing 4,191 3,905 1,274 1,096 2,917 2,809

Administrative Management and

General Management Consulting

Services

3,871 4,403 1,506 1,194 2,365 3,209

Elementary and Secondary Schools 2,773 2,449 963 701 1,810 1,748

Offices of Physicians (except Mental

Health Specialists) 2,549 2,797 811 813 1,738 1,984

Semiconductor and Other Electronic

Component Manufacturing 2,529 3,367 1,086 1,354 1,443 2,013

Semiconductor and Related Device 

Manufacturing 2,500 2,571 826 847 1,674 1,724

Offices of Certified Public

Accountants 2,476 3,810 1,070 827 1,406 2,983

Research and Development in the

Physical, Engineering and Life

Sciences

2,245 2,506 390 944 1,203 1,562

Other Industries20 75,254 77,329 23,926 22,252 51,620 55,077

Industry unknown 27,169 26,078 9,580 8,964 17,589 17,114
21

 

All

Beneficiaries

Initial 

Employment

Continuing 

Employment

FY2016 FY2017 FY2016 FY2017 FY2016 FY2017

Industry Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent

Total 100 100 100 100 100 100

Industry known 92.1 92.9 91.6 91.7 92.4 93.4

Custom Computer Programming Services 35.9 34.4 34.4 32.3 36.7 35.3

Computer System Design Services 11.6 12.9 9.6 11.3 12.5 13.5

Colleges, Universities and

Professional Schools 5.9 5.8 9.8 9.1 4.0 4.5

Software Publishers 2.7 2.8 2.8 3.2 2.7 2.6

Computer Systems Design and Related Services 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.6 3.0

Engineering Services 2.1 2.2 2.6 2.9 2.1 1.9

Other Computer Related Services 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.7 2.2 2.0

General Medical and Surgical 

Hospitals 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.1 1.7 1.7

Management, Scientific and Technical

Consulting Services 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.1 1.5 2.0

Electronic Computer Manufacturing 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.3

Investment Banking and Securities Dealing 1.4 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.4 1.2

Administrative Management and General

Management Consulting Services 0.9 1.3 1.4 1.2 0.8 1.3

Elementary and Secondary Schools 1.3 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.7

Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health

Specialists) 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Semiconductor and Other Electronic

Component Manufacturing 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.4 0.7 0.8

Semiconductor and Related Device 

Manufacturing 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7

Offices of Certified Public Accountants 0.7 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.7 1.2

Research and Development in the Physical,

Engineering and Life Sciences 0.8 0.7 0.3 1.0 0.2 0.6

Other Industries 15.7 22.8 14.6 22.4 17.2 22.9

Industry unknown 7.9 7.1 8.4 8.3 7.6 6.6

Notes: Industries ranked by total beneficiaries in FY 2016.

Sum of the percent may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Percentages shown are based on the total number of petitions approved with industry known.

NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System.
22

IV. Appendices

A. H-1B Petition Processing

After obtaining a certified Form ETA-9035 from the U.S. Department of Labor, prospective 

employers petition for alien workers to obtain H-1B nonimmigrant classification by filing USCIS 

Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker; the H Classification Supplement to Form 

I-129; and the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement. The petitions are 

generally mailed to one of three USCIS Service Centers (located in St. Albans, Vermont;

Lincoln, Nebraska; or Laguna Niguel, California) for processing, depending on the location of 

the beneficiary’s worksite or type of requested action.

Upon receipt of a properly filed petition,21 each petition is stamped with its date of arrival at the 

service center. A clerk creates a paper file that contains the original petition as well as all 

supporting documentation. This file becomes the official file of record for all activities 

connected with the petition.

Biographical data (such as name, date of birth and country of birth), as well as data on 

occupational and industry categories, are taken from the petition and entered by data entry clerks 

into the case tracking system Computer-Linked Application Information Management System

(known as CLAIMS). The computer system generates a unique receipt number for the file. 

After being sorted into potential cap-subject and cap-exempt cases, the file is assigned to an 

adjudicator. 

The adjudicator evaluates whether there is adequate information in the file to approve or deny 

the petition, or whether a need for further information warrants a request for evidence or 

initiation of an administrative investigation. If sufficient evidence is available, the adjudicator 

makes a decision and enters the corresponding information into the tracking system. In the case 

of insufficient evidence, the adjudicator requests additional information from the sponsoring 

employer. The employer must respond to the request within a set period of time or the petition 

will be denied. 

After petitions are adjudicated, the petition and supporting documentation are forwarded to either 

the USCIS records center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for storage, or the Kentucky Consular 

Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, for consular processing. 

 

21 Petitions that are improperly filed (e.g., submitted without the correct supplements, proper signatures, or required 

fees) may be rejected by the service center. Rejected petitions are returned to the petitioner with any submitted fees. 

See 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7).
23

B. Data Limitations

The data for the tables in this report have been extracted from a USCIS Service Center electronic 

data file. As such, errors in data may have occurred as a result of erroneous data submitted by 

the petitioner, initial data entry errors at service centers, or improper electronic transfer from the 

service centers to USCIS Headquarters. Accordingly, some data elements in the above tables are 

“unknown.”

Minimal editing has been done to the data in this file, and impossible or highly improbable 

values (such as beneficiaries younger than 16, except for fashion models) or beneficiaries (such 

as those working without compensation) have been defined as “unknown.” Information in 

electronic format is not available regarding the cities or states where H-1B workers are 

employed.