H-1B visas for Indians fall sharply in two years: ILO

HYDERABAD: The share of H-1B visas issued to Indians has declined over the past two years, according to a report released jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Asian Development Bank Institute.

While Indians continued to account for the majority of H-1B recipients, their share fell from 80% in 2022 to 67% in 2024. During the same period, the share of Chinese applicants rose by 14%.

The report, which examines labour migration trends across Asia, said recruitment for overseas jobs must be transparent and equitable. “Employment abroad should be based on fair and transparent hiring practices. Workers should receive the necessary training and development contracts. Measures must be taken to curb illegal practices in the recruitment of low-skilled labour,” it said.

Migration to Gulf nations rises

The study noted that migration from Asia to Gulf countries increased by 7% compared with the previous year, with the United Arab Emirates recording a 56% surge in 2024. India ranked third globally in terms of outbound migrant workers.

In 2024, about 3.77 lakh Indians migrated to Gulf countries. Outflows to Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia declined, while migration to the UAE, Oman and Bahrain rose. Migration from Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka to the Gulf more than doubled during the same period.

Europe and other destinations

In the European Union, the issue of Blue Cards to Indians rose by 7% in 2023. In the OECD’s 38 member nations, the total number of migrants grew from 19.70 lakh in 2000 to 48.25 lakh by 2015–16.

In 2022, there were about 1.5 lakh Indian international students in the US, 1.26 lakh in the UK, and 1.04 lakh in Canada. However, the number of UK employment visas issued to Asians fell sharply—from 1.48 lakh in 2023 to 90,000 in 2024—with India’s share dropping to 53%. Still, Indians accounted for 27% of healthcare-related visas.

In Canada, the proportion of permanent residents from Asian countries dropped from 60% in 2015 to 56% in 2024, though temporary foreign workers from India increased under the short-term employment programme.

Australia issued 21% of its temporary skilled visas to Indians in 2024, reflecting continued demand for Indian professionals.