NYC metropolitan area home to the highest number of H-1B approvals: data
NEW YORK (PIX11) – The cost of being an immigrant has just increased.
There is now a new annual fee of $100,000 for H-1B visa applications, as proclaimed by Donald Trump on Friday.
"The abuse of the H-1B visa program has made it even more challenging for college graduates trying to find IT jobs, allowing employers to hire foreign workers at a significant discount to American workers," read Trump's proclamation. "These effects of abuse of H-1B visas have coincided with increasing challenges in the labor market in which H-1B workers serve."
H-1B visas are designed to attract skilled foreigners for high-demand jobs that U.S. citizens and permanent residents cannot fill. These visas are issued through a lottery system.
Critics claim the program harms American workers by attracting low-cost foreign labor willing to accept salaries as low as $60,000. However, data shows that H-1B workers generally earn higher wages. In 2021, the median salary of an H-1B worker was $108,000, according to the American immigration Council.
New York City, Jersey City, and the Newark metropolitan area were home to the highest number of H-1B approvals, according to Pew Research.
"New York far outpaces other metropolitan areas in the number of H-1B applications approved in 2023. More than 55,000 approvals went to employers there. "
Bloomberg, Citibank, Barclays Services Corp, New York City Department of Education, and American Express are some of the businesses with the most H-1B visa workers in New York City, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
PIX11 News reached out to the New York Department of Labor to inquire about the number of visas in the area and the associated costs for businesses; however, they were unable to provide immediate commentary.
PIX11 News also contacted Bloomberg, Citibank, Barclays Services Corp, the New York City Department of Education, and American Express to understand how these companies will handle the new fee, but they did not respond immediately.
The new fee will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. It does not apply to existing H-1B visas and is scheduled to expire after one year.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.