A JobLeads study found that 41% of Indian users seeking U.S. jobs clicked on technology roles, while 59% explored opportunities in other fields.
Indian applicants searching for jobs in the United States are looking beyond technology, according to a new study that offers a broader picture of overseas employment interest amid uncertainty surrounding the H-1B visa program.
An analysis by JobLeads, a career platform, found that 41% of Indian users who searched for U.S. jobs clicked on information technology and technology roles between May and September 2026. The remaining 59% clicked on jobs outside the technology category. The study analyzed 133,635 people across 41 countries who searched for jobs in the United States, along with 137,691 clicks and applications recorded during the study period. India accounted for 17.3% of all users who clicked on or applied to U.S. jobs, the largest share among the countries included.
The findings come as immigration policy changes and proposals have intensified uncertainty for foreign professionals seeking employment in the United States. Although the H-1B debate largely centers on technology workers, the JobLeads data suggests that international applicants are considering opportunities across a wider range of occupations.
Indian applicants show strong interest in U.S. jobs
India ranked fifth among the 41 countries in the number of people searching for U.S. jobs but first in the number of users who went on to click on or apply to a position, according to JobLeads. The study found that 53% of Indian users who searched for U.S. jobs subsequently clicked on or applied to one. The figure was substantially higher than the 20% average across all 41 countries, although Pakistan recorded a higher conversion rate of 58%.
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Indian users conducted an average of 3.4 U.S. job searches each during the period, compared with 1.9 in the United Kingdom and 4.4 in Pakistan. India, the Philippines, Pakistan and South Africa together accounted for 49% of all users who clicked on or applied to U.S. jobs in the study.
The findings measure activity on the JobLeads platform rather than the total number of Indian professionals seeking employment in the United States. Searching for a position or clicking on an advertisement does not necessarily indicate that an applicant intends to relocate, has applied formally or qualifies for a U.S. work visa.
Technology remains important, but other fields attract applicants
Despite the broader range of interests, technology remained the largest single occupational category for Indian job seekers in the study. At 41%, India recorded the highest share of users clicking on technology jobs among the countries analyzed. Poland followed closely, at 40%. The comparable share was 17% in the Philippines and 16% in South Africa.
However, the Indian figure also means that a majority of users who interacted with U.S. job listings did not click on a technology role. Across all 41 countries, management and operations accounted for 34% of interactions with U.S. job listings. Another 34% fell into a broad category covering assistance roles, science, research, teaching, hospitality and driving.
Information technology and technology ranked third overall, accounting for 27% of interactions. Other categories included marketing and media at 18%, engineering at 14%, biological sciences, pharmacology and health at 12%, finance at 11%, sales at 10% and human resources at 9%.
The figures are not mutually exclusive because an individual user could click on jobs in multiple fields. The distinction matters because the H-1B program is closely associated with technology employment, while international applicants use job platforms to explore a much wider range of work.
H-1B employment remains heavily concentrated in technology
U.S. government data illustrates the difference between the occupational interests recorded in the JobLeads study and the profile of workers approved under the H-1B program.
According to figures cited by JobLeads from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, computer-related occupations accounted for 62% of H-1B approvals in fiscal year 2025. Indian-born beneficiaries accounted for approximately 70% of approvals.
The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that generally require at least a bachelor’s degree in a directly related field. Employers must sponsor eligible workers, and the program is subject to annual numerical limits, with exemptions for certain categories. The concentration of approvals in computer-related occupations has helped keep technology workers at the center of the national debate over skilled immigration.
However, the JobLeads findings do not establish that the 59% of Indian users who clicked on nontechnology jobs could qualify for H-1B sponsorship. The study categorizes advertised positions by job field, not by visa eligibility, employer sponsorship requirements or the qualifications of individual applicants.
Job switching adds another dimension
The study also found that 35% of Indian users who interacted with U.S. job listings were employed and looking to change jobs, the highest share among the countries measured.
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That finding suggests that interest in U.S. employment is not limited to people who are unemployed or entering the workforce. Some applicants are already employed and exploring alternatives. JobLeads said employed job switchers across the countries studied were more likely than unemployed applicants to click on technology, engineering, finance and consulting positions.
For Indian professionals, the distinction between seeking an initial job and changing employers can be significant. H-1B workers generally depend on an employer-sponsored immigration status, and moving to another employer involves additional immigration requirements.
The study does not establish whether the Indian job switchers already live in the United States, work for Indian companies or are applying from India. Their registered country reflects the information they provided when signing up for the platform.
What the findings say about the U.S. job market
The JobLeads analysis provides a snapshot of job-search activity during a period of uncertainty over U.S. immigration policy. It does not establish a long-term trend or show whether Indian applicants have increased their interest in nontechnology jobs because of H-1B restrictions. The platform also cautioned that its sample covers only countries where it operates outside the United States and does not represent every international job seeker.
Nevertheless, the findings show that Indian users are exploring a broader range of U.S. employment opportunities even as technology remains a prominent part of their search activity. For policymakers and employers, the distinction is between the jobs international candidates are interested in and the occupations through which U.S. immigration programs allow them to work. The two groups overlap, but they are not identical.
As uncertainty over skilled-worker immigration continues, the study offers a reminder that interest in the U.S. labor market extends beyond the technology jobs that dominate the H-1B debate.