Jacob Funk Kirkegaard () (Institute for International Economics)
Abstract
This working paper looks in detail at the H-1B and L-1 visa programs for temporary employment in the United States. Based on official data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the US Department of State, H-1B and L-1 visa issuance rapidly increased in the late 1990s, followed by a marked slowdown after 2001. This points to the highly cyclical nature of both visa programs. Indian nationals and immigrants working in computer-related occupations dominate the H1-B and L-1 population in the United States, but these two groups are also found to be the most cyclical segment, with very large declines in inflows after 2001. The total population of H-1B visaholders in 2003 is estimated to range between 387,000 and 746,000, of which 160,000 to 306,000 were Indian nationals. As all data on H-1B/L-1 visaholders are gross numbers and gross jobs data for comparable categories are absent, the extent of the impact of these visa programs on the US labor market cannot be gauged precisely. A broad range of US industries and educational institutions are found to be employing H-1B recipients, with the IT industry being the dominant sector. Evidence of aggressive wage-cost cutting, including paying H-1B recipients only the legally mandated 95 percent of the prevailing US wage, is found among some H-1B employers, although no systematic abuse of the system is present.
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Find related papers by JEL classification: F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
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