https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/12/h-1b-despite-crackdown-applications-for-new-visas-up-this-year/

Applications for the controversial H-1B visa have bounced up after a drop last year. The number of petitions for new H-1B visas totaled 201,011 this year, federal authorities announced, with the total up about 6 percent from last year’s 190,098.

The news from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services comes amid a crackdown by the administration of President Donald Trump on the controversial visa program, intended to supply foreign workers for jobs requiring specialized skills. Employers apply for the H-1B on behalf of workers, and observers had suggested that the administration’s increased investigations into applications and visa holders might deter companies from applying for H-1Bs. This year’s total suggests that is not the case, said Howard University professor Ron Hira, who studies the visa program.