Previously on the blog we have covered some information regarding the H1-B visa process. This is a non-immigrant temporary visa allocated to immigrants with specialized knowledge in their field of expertise. In general, U.S. employers tend to file work petitions for immigrants in this category in the technology and financial sectors.
As such, there is a concentration of H1-B workers in the United States in select cities. H1-B workers opt for big cities because of the job opportunities, and it is rare to see such workers moving to small towns. In this blog, we will take a closer look at the makeup of H1-B workers, and where such employees have taken up residence across the country. Other trends such as salary expectations and companies that hire these workers will also be examined.
U.S. Cities and Visa Holders
If you want to understand the makeup of American cities a little better, with regards to its productive sectors, looking at H1-B visa holders is a good place to start. We often think of U.S. cities as havens where residents from neighboring states flock to for employment opportunities. But in addition, international residents make up considerable chunks of these cities too. The Pew Research center has put out some telling data and statistics on where H1-B workers tend to live in the U.S. and not surprisingly the most populated cities with H1-B workers are New York City and Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas.[1] The data compiled is only as recent as 2016, however, it is likely that the overall trend of metro area concentration has not changed significantly.
Other key areas where H1-B workers tend to flock to include the famous Silicon Valley in San Jose, California, as well as the greater Washington D.C. metro area. It makes sense that San Jose sees the most approved H1-B petitions per fiscal year as many leading technology companies such as Apple, Google, and others are located in this technology hub of the country.
Salary Growth
With such concentrations of high skilled workers also comes important information about salaries per H1-B workers. In 2006, the median salary for an H1-B worker in the United States was approximately $73,000 per year. However, over the course of 10 years, and by 2016, the median salary for H1-B workers had grown to approximately $80,000 per year.[2]
Analysis
In addition, looking at H1-B salary information and statistics is important for the actual applicants themselves. Why? Because looking through this information gives applicants a better understanding as to which companies tend to hire international temporary workers on this program, and thus most likely which companies have actual departments where staff is trained to handle H1-B petitions. Petitions are the first and most important part of the process if an employer is interested in a foreign candidate. Secondly, companies need to have enough annual budget where they are allocating money and resources to their own internal H1-B program. The Pew Research Center lists several companies across the country that tend to hire H1-B workers. Aside from Apple and Google mentioned above, there are other leading companies such as the following:
- Intel
- Amazon
- InfoSys
- Microsoft
- Mindtree
- JP Morgan Chase & Co.[3]
When applying for an H1-B visa, applicants need to know their salary range, not simply for the purpose of career and professional development, but also to understand rental markets and where they are going to live/the costs of associated living in that city.
