Skilled Migrant Workers in the U.S., 2012

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Countries with the most H-1B visa recipients

Highly skilled migrants are defined as those who have been granted the H-1B visa, reserved for those “employed temporarily in a specialty occupation.“ Specialty occupations include those in the fields of architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts. An H-1B visa is good for 6 years; recipients are eligible to become permanent residents and citizens of the U.S.
Country Number of
skilled workers
India 86,477
Other 14,816
China 11,409
Canada 3,660
South Korea 2,662
U.K. 2,013
Philippines 1,863
Mexico 1,528
France 1,377
Taiwan 1,368
Japan 1,171
Germany 1,083
Brazil 996
Turkey 989
Nepal 932
Pakistan 851
Russia 829
Venezuela 807
Italy 804
Spain 632
Colombia 623
Note: Data is for initial employment visas for fiscal year 2012.
Source: Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security: Characteristics of H1B Specialty Occupation Workers Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Report to Congress October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2012.
Immigration
Immigration
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