The H-1B visa, the most sought after by Indian IT professionals has opened to a lackluster response, with less than 6,000 applications received after it opened on April 1.

"USCIS has received approximately 5,900 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and approximately 4,500 petitions toward the 20,000 cap exemption for individuals with advanced degrees," the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement, a week after it started receiving applications for the visas for the fiscal year 2012 beginning October 1, 2011.

Because of stringent monitoring provisions and general economic recession, there has been a sharp drop in the number of Indian receiving H-1B visas in the last few years, official figures reveal.