The US government’s public database that tracks employers who hire H-1B visa workers has suddenly gone offline, according to a recent report from the Dallas Express. Key tools on the site no longer work, and recent data is missing.
The H-1B program allows US companies to hire foreign workers temporarily for speciality jobs that require highly specialised knowledge, usually needing a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Federal H-1B visa employer database goes dark: Report
According to the Dallas Express, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) H-1B Employer Data Hub, a website used by the public to study companies participating in the visa program, has lost all important features.
Its search function and interactive map are gone. Recent datasets for fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026 are also missing. Without these tools, it is now hard to check which companies hire H-1B workers or how the program is being used.
The Dallas Express first noticed the problem late last week. Earlier, users could search for H-1B petitioners by employer name, location, fiscal year, and industry code. The map feature showed where H-1B employers were concentrated across the United States. None of these functions, the report claims, is available now.
Missing H-1B datasets
According to the US-based news outlet, the downloadable datasets page no longer includes files for 2024, 2025, or 2026. The pages now show an “Archived Content” tag, with a “Last Reviewed/Updated” date of July 1, 2025. It is unclear when the files were archived or whether this is connected to the technical issues.
A USCIS spokesperson told The Dallas Express in an email, “We are aware that our various USCIS Employer Data Hubs are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Our team is actively working to resolve the issue. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience while we work to restore normal service.”
Database meant to boost transparency
USCIS first announced the H-1B Employer Data Hub in 2019. The agency said it would give the public access to information about companies using the H-1B visa program. The hub allowed users to “search for H-1B petitioners by fiscal year (back to FY 2009), NAICS code, employer name, city, state, or ZIP code,” and calculate approval and denial rates.
USCIS said at the time that the hub was part of a bigger effort to increase transparency in employment-based visa programs. On Facebook in 2019, the agency wrote, “We’ve launched an H-1B Employer Data Hub to give you information on employers who are petitioning for H-1B workers. The data hub is part of our continued effort to increase transparency in employment-based visa programs.”
The hub became an important resource for journalists, researchers, and policymakers. The Dallas Express used it to report on which companies hire the most H-1B workers in Texas, analysing visa concentrations in major cities and naming the top employers.
USCIS had planned to update the hub every quarter and release annual datasets for public download. As of March 10, the report states that the H-1B Employer Data Hub is still offline.