India alone accounted for nearly 70% of all US H-1B visa issuances in 2024, China followed with 14.5%, while Nigeria had less than 1%

  • The US granted 219,813 H-1B visas in FY 2024 to skilled workers worldwide.
  • India received nearly 70%, followed by China at 14.5%.
  • The Philippines (1.6%), South Korea (1%), Mexico (0.9%), and Nigeria (0.4%) received smaller shares.
  • 427,091 petitions were filed in 2024, 399,402 approved, but only 219,813 visas issued, showing the difference between approvals and actual visas used.
  • Starting September 21, 2025, a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions will be implemented, exempting existing visa holders and renewals, potentially impacting top recipient countries like India and China.

In the 2024 fiscal year, the US issued 219,813 H-1B visas to skilled workers worldwide. India led with nearly 70%, followed by China at 14.5%, while other countries like the Philippines (1.6%), South Korea (1%), and Mexico (0.9%) shared the remainder.

Meanwhile, a total of 427,091 petitions were filed and 399,402 approved, showing the gap between applications and actual visas used. Starting September 21, 2025, a $100,000 fee on new petitions will take effect, aimed at encouraging US hiring — a policy likely to impact workers from India and China the most.

Source:

US Department of State

Period:

FY 2024
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Africa secured just 1.5% of the US Skilled Worker (H-1B) Visas in 2024 — Nigeria tops the list
  • Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
  • East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
  • North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
  • Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
  • President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.

Nigerian scholars in the US nearly quadruple in two decades, rising from 176 in 2000/01 to 931 in 2023/24
  • Nigeria has been the second leading source of African scholars in the US since 2008/09 to 2023/24, after overtaking South Africa.
  • By the 2023/24 academic session, the number of Nigerian scholars in the US reached 931.
  • Given past trends, it’s not unrealistic to predict that Nigeria could surpass Egypt in the near future, just as it did South Africa.
  • Approximately 20% of the African scholars in the US are Nigerians.

International students made up nearly 6% of all US higher education enrolments in 2023/2024—the highest share since 1948, up from just 1.1%
  • In 2023, international students made up 5.9% of total US higher education enrollment.
  • This is the highest share ever recorded since tracking began in 1948.
  • The share has grown steadily from 1.1% in 1948 to nearly 6% today.
  • Peak growth occurred from the late 1970s through the 2010s.
  • The total enrollment base in 2023 was 18.9 million, down from the 2011 peak of 21.2 million.
  • International student share remained resilient even as overall enrollment declined post-2010.
  • The 2020 dip (4.6%) resulted from the COVID disruption, but recovery was swift.

Over 90% of UK Health and Care visa approvals went to just 10 countries — all from Asia and Africa
  • 90.7% of approvals came from 10 countries — all in Asia and Africa; the rest of the world got just 9.3%
  • India: 222,521 approvals (highest)
  • Nigeria: 149,299 approvals (2nd overall, 1st in Africa)
  • Zimbabwe: 92,960 approvals (3rd overall, despite smaller population)
  • India, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe alone account for over 460,000 approvals — more than 62% of the total
  • Five of the top 10 countries are African
  • Total approvals (2020–2024): 741,933

Canada’s study permit approvals dropped by 31% in 2024, with Nigeria, India, and the Philippines experiencing significant reductions
  • Canada announced a reduction in international student approvals in 2024, citing housing and resource pressures.
  • Global approvals dropped nearly 31% from 681.5k in 2023.
  • Nigerian approvals dropped 36%, ranking among the highest declines. India (-39.7%) and Nepal (-48.8%) were also major declines.
  • Canada plans to issue 437,000 study permits in 2025, 10% lower than 2024’s cap.
  • The UK, US, and local universities may see more Nigerian applicants.

Nigeria has maintained the top spot for US international students from Africa since the 2007/08 academic year
Since the 2007/08 academic year, Nigeria has consistently held the top spot for the number of African international students in the US. Before this, Kenya and Egypt also led in certain periods. This trend highlights the evolving landscape of African students pursuing education in the US over the decades.

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