Large Number Of HI-B Visa Denial This Year?

In the past couple of years, the number of H-1B denials has risen dramatically. Immigration lawyers and applicants have maintained that the number of Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and denials has been much higher in recent years.

On Friday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has completed the H-1B cap lottery selection process for the 2020 fiscal year. With the USCIS conducting two lotteries — one for the 65,000 petitions in the general pool and the second one for the 20,000 US advanced degree holders — applicants will start receiving notices in the next few days.

As the petitioners await the lottery result, one question that is foremost in the minds of the applicants is whether they will get a visa denial notice or Requests for Evidence (RFE).

Denial rates for H-1B petitions have increased significantly, rising from 6% in FY 2015 to 32% in the first quarter of FY 2019 for new H-1B petitions for initial employment, Immigration attorneys say that this year most employers have been very particular about making sure that their visa petitions met all the criterion of H-1B qualification.

“It’s been two years of Trump and increased scrutiny of applications,” says New Jersey-based Attorney, Gary Pasricha. “By now, I am hopeful that most established employers know that they have to be very particular and diligent about the applications so that there are lesser chances of denials.