A further complication lies in the charts comparing layoffs with visas. Consular issuances, initial petitions, extensions and transfers are not interchangeable. A net decline in a sector does not identify which job was filled by whom, and aggregate company layoffs can include workers outside the United States. The right follow-up is an employer-level reconstruction of vacancies, role continuity, hiring and pay; the wrong follow-up is a demand to fire everyone of one origin.
Data: supplied historical India and China approval series
| Fiscal year | India | India share | China | China share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 256,226 | 74.2% | 31,995 | 9.3% |
| 2017 | 276,423 | 75.6% | 34,477 | 9.4% |
| 2018 | 243,994 | 73.4% | 39,700 | 11.9% |
| 2019 | 278,491 | 71.7% | 50,609 | 13.0% |
| 2020 | 319,494 | 74.9% | 51,597 | 12.1% |
| 2021 | 301,616 | 74.1% | 50,328 | 12.4% |
| 2022 | 320,791 | 72.6% | 55,038 | 12.5% |
| 2023 | 279,386 | 72.3% | 45,344 | 11.7% |
| 2024 | 283,397 | 71.0% | 46,680 | 11.7% |
| 2025 | 283,772 | 69.9% | 49,161 | 12.1% |
Pakistan’s interest is a market where demonstrable skill can compete without rigged access or national humiliation. That requires the same commitment at home: fair contracts, clear payment terms and investment in training rather than treating Pakistani developers as disposable cheap labour. The case for recognising freelancers as exporters, the discussion of digital market access and the challenge of local commercial execution converge on that point. Share the wage questions, ask for the comparable payroll evidence, and make the employer explain the system it profits from.
Does a high average wage rule out exploitation?
No. The average can conceal differences within roles, and bargaining constraints concern more than the nominal salary.
Do the supplied charts prove individual replacements?
No. They juxtapose different series; proving replacement requires records linking employers, roles and workers.
