Annual numerical limit, number of visas issued, petitions or EADs approved in fiscal 2019, and period of stay for the most common nonimmigrant visa classifications that authorize employment
| Visa classification | Annual numerical limit | Visas issued or petitions or EADs approved | Period of stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-3 | No annual limit | 857 | Initially valid for up to three years, and may be extended in two-year increments. However, Department of State practice is to issue for a maximum period of 24 months, and the visa is renewable. Overall, length of stay may not exceed that of the employer. |
| B-1 | No annual limit | 37,841 | Duration of visa approved by State Department; admission normally valid for six months. Only certain subcategories of B-1 may be employed. |
| F-1 Optional Practical Training (post- completion) | No annual limit | 223,308 | One year for OPT and 36 months for OPT with qualifying STEM degree. |
| G-5 | No annual limit | 404 | Initially valid for up to three years, and may be extended in two-year increments. However, Department of State practice is to issue for a maximum period of 24 months, and the visa is renewable. Overall, length of stay may not exceed that of the employer. |
| E-1 | No annual limit | 6,668 | Renewable indefinitely in two-year increments. |
| E-2 | No annual limit | 43,286 | Renewable indefinitely in two-year increments. |
| E-3 | 10,500 | 5,807 | Renewable indefinitely in two-year increments. |
| H-1B | 65,000 (for-profit employers); 20,000 additionally available for workers possessing master’s degree; no annual limit for universities and nonprofit research organizations | 138,927 | Three years, renewable once for a total of six years; but also renewable indefinitely until a permanent immigrant visa becomes available, if a U.S. employer has petitioned for an immigrant visa or filed for permanent labor certification, or if an immigrant petition has been approved. |
| H-2A | No annual limit | 204,801 | Less than one year, but renewable in one-year increments up to three years. |
| H-2B | 66,000 | 97,623 | Up to nine months but renewable in one-year increments up to three years. |
| H-4 | No annual limit | 47,821 | Same duration of stay as principal spouse’s visa. |
| J-1 | No annual limit, except in Summer Work Travel (SWT) program (109,000) | 213,509 | Duration of program: four months for SWT; 12 months for interns; 18 months for trainees; three years for teachers. |
| J-2 | No annual limit | 11,781 | Same duration of stay as principal spouse’s visa. |
| L-1 | No annual limit | 76,988 | Seven years for managers and executives (L-1A); five years for employees with “specialized knowledge” (L-1B). |
| L-2 | No annual limit | 25,673 | Same duration of stay as principal spouse’s visa. |
| O-1 | No annual limit | 17,751 | Up to three years; renewable in one-year increments. |
| P-1 | No annual limit | 25,601 | 10 years for athletes and essential support personnel. |
| TN | No annual limit | 21,193 | Up to three years; may petition for extension or depart U.S. and apply for new three-year period. |
| Total | 1,199,839 |
Notes: For some work visa programs, counting the number of visas does not provide an accurate count of new workers on a visa in a given year or the number of visa holders who are employed in a visa program (since not all work). Thus, in some cases it is more accurate to count petitions approved or work authorization documents. For more background, see Daniel Costa and Jennifer Rosenbaum, Temporary Foreign Workers by the Numbers: New Estimates by Visa Classification, Economic Policy Institute, March 2017.
For some work visa programs, counting the number of visas does not provide an accurate count of new workers on a visa in a given year or the number of visa holders who are employed in a visa program (since not all work). Thus, in some cases it is more accurate to count petitions approved or work authorization documents. For more background, see Daniel Costa and Jennifer Rosenbaum, Temporary Foreign Workers by the Numbers: New Estimates by Visa Classification, Economic Policy Institute, March 2017. Employment authorization documents for OPT only include those for post-completion OPT. Number for H-1B represents petitions approved by USCIS for initial employment. H-4 represents approved employment authorization documents. For J-1, only categories that authorize employment were included, excluding research scholars and short-term scholars. J-2 represents approved employment authorization documents. L-2 represents approved employment authorization documents. TN total excludes visas or statuses issued at Canadian ports of entry because those data are not published.
Source: Author’s analysis of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, accessed August 2020; U.S. Department of State, “Nonimmigrant Visa Statistics”; U.S. Department of State, “J-1 Visa Basics: Facts and Figures”; U.S. Department of State, Foreign Affairs Manual; Immigration and Nationality Act.
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