The H-1B debate in the US has intensified. After a year where tech workers felt the heat from the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee and tighter visa rules, major companies are now filing far fewer H-1B applications. Layoffs and shrinking teams at giants like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are adding to the slowdown, cutting the demand for foreign talent even further.
Federal data shows a clear drop in visa filings as layoffs mount and new rules take effect.
Big tech is filing fewer H-1B visas
Department of Labour data reveals that some tech companies filed far fewer H-1B applications in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (October–December) than a year earlier.
Data reviewed and compiled by Business Insider shows that Amazon continues to be the biggest user of the H-1B visa program among major tech companies. Although its filings peaked in 2025, surpassing 4,000 applications, there is a noticeable drop in 2026. Amazon saw filings drop from 4,647 in Q1 2025 to 3,057 in Q1 2026.
Other tech giants, including Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and IBM, also show a decline in certified H-1B applications in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
Nvidia stands out
Nvidia is an exception to the downward trend. Its H-1B applications have steadily grown from 2024 through 2026. The rise likely matches Nvidia’s rapid growth and the need for talent driven by the AI boom. CEO Jensen Huang has emphasised that Nvidia will keep hiring skilled immigrants even as visa costs rise.
The data also shows a big difference in how companies use the H-1B program. Giants like Amazon and Microsoft handle thousands of applications per quarter. In contrast, companies such as Cisco, Oracle, Tesla, and Salesforce file far fewer, usually staying below 1,000 per quarter.
So far, none of these companies has issued a statement.
What is a certified H-1B visa?
Certified visa applications mean the Labour Department has checked that workers will be paid fairly and won’t harm employment for other workers.
H-1B filings are usually lower in the first quarter of the fiscal year because, during this time, most companies are only submitting applications for workers who are already on a visa and want to either extend their stay or move to a new job. The big surge happens in the second quarter, when the H-1B lottery takes place. That’s when companies submit new applications, hoping to win one of the 85,000 visas that are up for grabs, making filings much higher during that period.
Tech teams shrinking amid AI push
The drop comes amid Big Tech spending heavily on AI projects. Teams are becoming smaller and more specialised, and layoffs continue.
- Amazon cut 16,000 corporate roles in January and 14,000 in October last year.
- Meta laid off hundreds of employees in March.
- Microsoft cut 15,000 employees between May and July last year.
- Google has also done smaller rounds of layoffs over recent years.
Since September, changes to the H-1B visa program have made the process costlier and stricter. Applicants now face more scrutiny, and companies have to pay higher fees. The Trump administration introduced rules that favour the highest-paid applicants and placed a $100,000 fee on new petitions for workers living abroad.
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