In 2019, USCIS said the U.S. had 388,403 H-1B visa holders, who work in “occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge.” That sum included both newly approved applicants (which are capped at 85,000 per year), as well as those granted extensions on existing visas.
Of the visa holders, 278,491 or roughly 72% were from India. The second-largest contingent of H-1B visa holders came from China with 50,609 visas or 13%.
The U.S. grants more H-1B visas to Indian citizens than to citizens from every other country combined.
The U.S. tech industry is the top employer of H-1B visa recipients and stands to be the biggest loser amid the freeze.