Kamal Ghorui
New data from the US Department of Labour shows that Amazon, Meta, Google, Apple and Microsoft have sharply criticised their H-1B visa petitions, reflecting both tighter immigration rules and widespread layoffs across the tech industry. According to a report by Business Insider, the filings covering the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (October- December 2025), reveal a steep decline as compared to the same period a year earlier. This fresh decline underscores how Big Tech’s hiring slowdown is reshaping demand for skilled foreign workers.
Data of declining H-1B petitions from Apple, Meta, Amazonand Google
The numbers highlight the scale of the drop:
- Amazon saw certified applications fall from 4,647 in Q1 2025 to 3,057 in Q1 2026.
- Meta and Google both recorded declines of nearly 50% year-over-year.
- Apple and Microsoft also reported fewer filings, though less dramatic than Meta and Google.
- Other companies including IBM, Salesforce, and Tesla also reduced filings compared with last year.
- Nvidia stood out as the exception, increasing filings from 369 in Q1 2025 to 434 in Q1 2026, with CEO Jensen Huang reaffirming the company’s commitment to immigrant hiring.
These figures reflect Labor Department certifications, not final visa approvals or lottery selections. Multiple filings can correspond to a single worker, and annual totals may vary depending on hiring cycles.
Why the H-1B petitions declined
As per the report by Business Insider, there are two main factors behind the declining H-1B petitions by Big Tech
- Policy changes:The new changes introduced in last September has made H-1B visa petitions costlier and more scrutinised. Along with this, the Trump administration also impose a hiked $100,000 fee on new petitions for workers abroad and tilted the lottery toward higher-paid applicants.
- Layoffs and hiring freezes: The tech giants have also fired a lot of employees and are now focusing on leaner teams and AI investments. Amazon fired 16,000 corporate roles in January after 14,000 in October. Meta laid off hundreds in March, while Microsoft and Google have also reduced staff in recent years.
Immigration lawyers note that while the new rules could favor large companies able to pay premium salaries, the heightened scrutiny and slower hiring pace are weighing on overall demand.
