New Delhi: A latest report released on Tuesday by the National Foundation for American Policy has analysed recent denial rates for high-skilled immigrants in the US. The analysis, based on data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), suggests that even highly qualified professionals are now facing greater difficulty in securing approvals. For those eyeing lucrative career paths and lifestyles in America, the journey would now be looking a bit harder than before.
What does the report say?
The NFAP study shows that denial rates have increased significantly across several key visa and green card categories, particularly those meant for individuals with exceptional talent.
It cites as example, that the rejection rate for ‘extraordinary ability’ green cards nearly doubled, rising from about 25.6 per cent to 46.6 per cent between late 2024 and late 2025. Similarly, denial rates for ‘national interest waiver’ green cards climbed sharply from 38.8 per cent to 64.3 per cent during the same period.
Temporary work visas have also seen increases, the report cited. The rise there though is not that steep comparatively. The denial rate for O visas, typically granted to individuals with extraordinary ability, also worryingly rose by around 46 per cent. However, the report notes that denial rates for H-1B visas have not surged in the same way.
A broader policy direction aimed at limiting or discouraging high-skilled foreign workers from entering or staying in the US workforce can be gauged from the findings of the NFPA report.
Policy changes seen
The report also links rising denial rates to policy decisions taken in recent years. For example, proposals to significantly increase wage requirements for foreign workers and even impose high entry fees on new visa holders can be attributed as correlative and explain some of the findings of the report.
Another major concern highlighted is the growing backlog of immigration applications. USCIS had a pending caseload of about 6.3 million applications by the end of fiscal year 2025, marking a steep increase of around 65 per cent in just one year.