H-1B workers are dominating the AI-related hiring at Amazon, Google, Meta, and many other top tech firms. AI-savvy techies are probably going to be the first pick for US companies looking to hire foreigners on H-1B work permits.
According to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis, more than 80% of labor condition applications, or LCAs, certified for new H-1B petitions in FY 2025 for Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Apple were for occupations connected to artificial intelligence.
While 60% of LCAs certified for the five technology companies in FY 2025 were for software developers, only 23% of positions certified for all employers were for software developers.
The number of LCAs certified for new employment during the first three quarters of FY 2025 is shown in the data; these instances typically count against the H-1B yearly limit. DOL certifies positions before company H-1B petition filings, but not all certifications result in an approved H-1B petition.
Amazon had the most H-1B petitions for initial employment approved in FY 2025, followed by Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Google. Apple was sixth.
H-1B hirings by AI companies complement their spending on artificial intelligence. In 2026, these five companies are expected to spend more than $1 trillion ( including 2025 spends)combined in primarily AI-connected capital expenditures. Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are expected to spend nearly $700 billion combined this year to fuel their AI build-outs. In February 2025, Apple announced it would invest more than $500 billion in the United States over four years.
Immigrants have founded or cofounded nearly two-thirds (65% or 28 of 43) of the top AI companies in the United States, according to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis. Seventy-seven percent of the leading U.S.-based AI companies were founded or cofounded by immigrants or the children of immigrants. Forty two percent (18 of 43) of the top U.S.-based AI companies had a founder who came to America as an international student.
Amazon had the most H-1B petitions for initial employment approved in FY 2025, with 4,644, an increase from 3,871 in FY 2024 but lower than its total of 6,396 in FY 2022. Meta Platforms had the second-most H-1B petitions approved for initial employment in FY 2025, with 1,555, followed by Microsoft with 1,394 and Google with 1,050.
This was the first time these four large U.S. companies have held the top four spots for approvals of new H-1B petitions.
Only three Indian-based companies in FY 2025 appeared among the top 25 employers with approved H1B petitions for initial employment. In FY 2025, the top seven Indian-based companies had only 4,573 H-1B petitions approved for initial employment, a drop of 70% from FY 2015 and 37% fewer than in FY 2024.
Meanwhile, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the opening and closing dates for the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap season. There are 2 new rules introduced in the FY 2027 Cap Season – the new H-1B selection process and the $100,000 petition fee to be paid for each foreign worker hired by a US firm.
How the new H-1B rules for the 2027 cap season play out in the hiring of foreign workers for US companies remains to be seen.