India, June 11 : India continues to sit at the center of global skilled migration flows, but the nature of that dominance is shifting. According to new data from Deel’s Global Talent Map, international hiring is now being driven not by cost arbitrage, but by intense global competition for scarce skills, many of them originating in India.
Analysis from Deel’s platform, which spans 40,000+ companies hiring across 150+ countries, shows that visa holders consistently earn more than local workers in comparable roles across major markets, underscoring that global hiring today is driven by skill scarcity, not wage savings.
In the United States, H-1B workers earn a median of $140,000 compared to $130,000 for citizens in similar roles. In the UK, Skilled Worker visa holders earn £96,000 versus £87,000 for UK nationals. In the UAE, Golden Visa holders earn 605,000 AED compared to 459,000 AED for standard employment visa holders.
“Our data signals a structural shift in global hiring behavior. Companies are no longer hiring internationally to reduce costs; they are paying premiums to secure highly specialized talent that domestic labor markets struggle to supply. As a result, solutions like Employer of Record are becoming critical in enabling organizations to access global talent pools quickly, compliantly, and without geographical barriers,” said Rakesh Gaur, Head of Sales, India at Deel.
India powers every major global skilled visa pipeline
India is the dominant nationality across global skilled migration systems, ranking at or near the top in every major program tracked:
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#1 source of U.S. H-1B visas
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#2 for UK Skilled Worker visas
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#2 for EU Blue Cards
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Leading nationality for both UAE Golden Visas and standard employment visas
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Interestingly, India already accounts for 38% of the UAE’s total population
Global demand for Indian talent
Australia recorded the fastest growth in hiring Indian talent on Deel’s platform, surging 724% year-over-year. The UK followed with 142% growth, while hiring of Indian professionals in the U.S. rose 139%.
The UAE remains the top destination for Indian professionals globally, followed by Singapore, the UK, the U.S., and Canada.
India’s position across global visa systems reflects the growing international demand for Indian tech talent, particularly across engineering, software development, AI, and digital services. Germany’s Opportunity Card programme, designed to attract skilled non-EU workers without requiring a job offer beforehand, has already issued nearly one-third of its total permits to Indians.
“What’s striking in the data is how rapidly talent corridors within APAC are evolving. Rather than concentrating in a handful of traditional destinations, talent is moving across a broader set of markets. India sits at the centre of these shifts, appearing consistently across major visa programs and fast-growing hiring corridors,” said Lauren Thomas, Economist at Deel.
Signs of reverse migration emerge
While India continues to be the world’s largest exporter of skilled talent, the report also points to early signs of reverse migration.
India has historically taken a different approach to global mobility by maintaining strong connections with its diaspora through initiatives like the Overseas Citizenship of India programme, which grants lifelong residency and work rights to over 35 million diaspora members globally.
Taken together, these signals suggest India may be entering a new phase, not only supplying talent to the world, but increasingly attracting globally trained professionals back home as domestic opportunities expand.
In-depth findings from Deel’s Global Talent Map Report:
- Australia recorded 724% year-over-year growth in hiring Indian professionals
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UK hiring of Indian professionals grew 142%
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U.S. hiring of Indian professionals rose 139%
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Ireland recorded 131% growth in Indian talent hiring
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UAE saw 121% growth in Indian professionals
Visa holders earn more than local workers globally
- U.S. H-1B holders earn median salaries of $140,000 versus $130,000 for local workers in similar roles
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UK Skilled Worker visa holders earn £96,000 compared to £87,000 for local workers
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UAE Golden Visa holders earn 605,000 AED versus 459,000 AED for standard employment visa holders
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UK software developers on Skilled Worker visas earn over £112,000 compared to £93,808 for local workers in the same roles
Technical skills reshape global hiring
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Software developers make up a disproportionate share of visa holders across major markets like the U.S. and UK
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Technical skills such as software engineering, AI, and data science remain among the most globally portable skillsets
Young professionals continue to dominate migration trends globally.
- 43% of globally mobile workers on Deel’s platform are aged 25-34
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The most common age for new work visa approvals in countries like the UK, India, Canada, and the U.S. is between 25-34
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British workers abroad skew slightly older, with 39.4% aged 35-44, closely aligned with Americans (39.3%), Canadians (39.2%), and Australians (36.2%)
Top destination countries for Indian professionals:
- UAE
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Singapore
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United Kingdom
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United States
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Canada
Reverse migration trends begin emerging in India
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India’s Overseas Citizenship of India programme grants lifelong residency and work rights to over 35 million diaspora members globally
APAC talent corridors continue to strengthen
- Indian nationals are among the top foreign workers in Singapore, alongside citizens of Malaysia, China, and the Philippines
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Within Australia, Indian nationals are among the leading foreign nationalities in Deel’s workforce, some other leading APAC nationalities include New Zealand, China, and Sri Lanka
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Singapore remains the top destination for Australian professionals working abroad on Deel’s platform