Keep in mind, a large amount of those applications are pushed by outsourcing companies, that are gaming the system.

"Federal officials allow only one application for each foreign worker, but companies can submit an unlimited number of applications for their employees, so global outsourcing giants can, and do, submit many requests."

And one third of all approved H1Bs are for those outsourcing firms.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/06/us/outsourcin...

The spammed requests by these firms make it more difficult for foreign workers to get through this process, too, unless they work for these outsourcing firms.