For h1bs, most areas do almost require someone competent to have gone through a degree program in that field. You can't exactly self learn biochemistry or semiconductor process engineering because of he the tremendous equipment needs.

Software is a huge anomaly because it is so ear easily self learnable. The supposition that someone good at it needing a degree is patently false. It's really a shame. I know a few people with things like psychology degrees who are proficient programmers, and their path to a visa is not straightforward :(