Arizona had the 15th most H-1B workers for a state during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.
This FY year went from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
In the state, 753 employers hired 6,279 H-1B workers approved for FY 2024.
The federal government has a cap of 85,000 foreign workers for this program.
“H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability,” the Department of Labor website says.
Intel Corporation was the biggest employer of H-1B workers. The technology company hired 2,516 workers in FY 2024. ASML US LP was the closest company next with 209.
Intel builds semiconductor chips in Arizona. It received almost $8 billion from the CHIPS ACT.
Compared to last year, 697 companies hired 5,585 foreign workers. Thus, FY 2024 had 694 more H-1B workers than FY 2023.
Five years ago, in FY 2019, Arizona had levels similar to those in FY 2024. A total of 655 companies hired 6,119 H-1B workers.
Intel was also the largest sponsor of H-1B workers in FY 2023 and FY 2019.
In FY 2024 and FY 2023, Intel represented around 40 percent of all employers. In FY 2019, Intel represented 49 percent of employers sponsoring H-1B workers.
Ten years ago, in FY 2014, Arizona had 578 employers sponsoring 2,515 foreign workers. Motorola Mobility LLC was the top sponsor of employees with 248.
Arizona employers sought foreign workers through the H-1B worker program by an increase of 148.3 percent between FY 2014 and FY 2024.
According to The Daily Caller News Foundation, tech companies have replaced American workers laid off with the H-1B program.
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft laid off 55,000 Americans, and then these companies replaced them with 61,000 foreign workers since 2022.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the top 30 employers hire 40 percent of the H-1B workers.
In December, the Biden administration announced changes to the H-1B workers program.
“American businesses rely on the H-1B visa program for the recruitment of highly-skilled talent, benefitting communities across the country,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. “These improvements to the program provide employers with greater flexibility to hire global talent, boost our economic competitiveness, and allow highly skilled workers to continue to advance American innovation.”
President-elect Donald Trump has also expressed his support for the H-1B program.
“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” Trump told The New York Post on Tuesday.
“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” added Trump.
In his first term, Trump tried to tighten the rules on the H-1B program.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
