This article only deals with H-1B visas but can imagine it also has impacted other work visas across the board.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/story/2019-08-17/

The San Diego Union-Tribune August 19, 2019

“According to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, denial rates for first-time H-1B visa applicants increased from 6 percent to 24 percent between fiscal years 2015 and 2018. And the trend is growing”

Link's broken Rete

EDIT: Here's a working one: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/gu...G0KKj?id=17701

I had read that USCIS were toughening up on the consultancy/outsourcing firms - they apparently would enter loads and loads of applications but not bother completing them properly since they didn't know how many would actually get through the "lottery". They would then complete the ones that got through that first hurdle. Now, any applications that aren't completed properly from the beginning are refused. This makes sense to me since the sheer number of applications from these firms meant that other applications didn't have a chance.

Fantastic reading for somebody here on a 2-year E3

just be glad you're not french and applying for an E1/2 visa right now. Length of visa has today been shortened to 15 months ( from 5 years!)
https://fr.usembassy.gov/visas/nonim...ader-investor/

apparently the french have been playing fast and loose with visas for USCs and they're getting a taste of their own medicine..

This is why the H-1B visa is completely broken. About time.
(I've observed that mainly Indian nationals refer to the group of companies that have engaged in this practice as the WITCH group.)

That's quite a reduction...