The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields, particularly in technology, engineering, and consulting. Many of the top companies in these sectors, including Amazon, Infosys, Google, and Accenture, rely on the program to fill high-demand roles.
While these companies argue that H-1B workers are essential for innovation and meeting market needs, there have been criticisms related to wage suppression, job displacement for U.S. workers, and disparities in treatment. Despite this, H-1B workers continue to play a vital role in driving growth and filling critical skills gaps in various industries in the U.S.
Here’s a list of companies that have historically been major sponsors of H-1B visas and their estimated visas sponsored by year based on data from various sources:
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 3,000-6,000
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2. Infosys
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 5,000-10,000
Infosys, an IT consulting firm, is one of the largest H-1B sponsors in the U.S., bringing in large numbers of foreign workers to meet the demand for tech talent. The company has been criticized for outsourcing jobs to lower-cost markets and for allegedly displacing American workers, though it defends its actions by emphasizing the importance of skilled workers for its global projects.
3. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 10,000-15,000
TCS, another leading IT services firm, has long relied on H-1B visas to fill technology roles in the U.S. While TCS provides skilled workers for major clients, it has faced legal challenges regarding its labor practices, including accusations of displacing U.S. workers with lower-paid foreign employees.
4. Cognizant Technology Solutions
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 8,000-12,000
Cognizant sponsors large numbers of H-1B visas for IT and consulting roles. The company has faced similar criticisms to other Indian IT firms, with accusations that it uses H-1B workers to undercut U.S. labor markets, particularly in the tech industry.
5. Accenture
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 4,000-6,000
As a global consulting firm, Accenture relies on H-1B workers to fill positions in areas like management consulting, IT, and digital transformation. While it has been accused of promoting a “two-tier” workforce where foreign employees may face different conditions, Accenture has consistently defended its recruitment practices as essential to delivering global solutions.
6. Google
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 2,000-3,500
Google is a major sponsor of H-1B visas, employing foreign workers in cutting-edge areas such as AI, data science, and software engineering. The company has generally been seen as a strong advocate for immigrant talent, although concerns have been raised about the working conditions of H-1B employees in certain roles.
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7. Microsoft
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 3,000-4,500
Microsoft has long depended on H-1B workers, especially in technical fields such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. The company has faced limited criticism, with most of its H-1B employees receiving competitive salaries, although concerns about diversity and inclusion in tech still persist.
8. IBM
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 2,000-3,500
IBM hires H-1B workers to fill technical roles, particularly in areas like systems engineering and AI development. Despite efforts to balance its workforce, the company has been accused of using H-1B visas to replace U.S. employees with lower-paid foreign workers, especially during large layoffs.
9. Apple
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,500-3,000
Apple sponsors H-1B visas for workers in highly specialized roles, particularly in hardware and software development. The company offers competitive pay and benefits, but, like other tech firms, has faced scrutiny over its reliance on foreign talent, especially regarding diversity and equity in hiring.
10. Facebook (Meta)
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): ~6,000
Meta uses H-1B visas to bring in skilled workers for positions in software engineering, data science, and machine learning. The company is viewed as generally supportive of immigration, but has faced occasional criticism for creating a workforce with pay discrepancies and limited career progression for some H-1B employees.
11. Capgemini
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,000-2,000
A global IT services company, Capgemini is a significant sponsor of H-1B workers, particularly in consulting and software development roles. The company has been part of the ongoing debate over outsourcing and its impact on the U.S. labor market, with claims that it hires large numbers of foreign workers to reduce costs.
12. Wipro
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 2,000-4,000
Wipro is another major IT services company that heavily sponsors H-1B workers for technical roles. Like other Indian outsourcing firms, it has faced accusations of replacing U.S. workers with lower-paid H-1B employees, though it argues that it brings in talent to meet specific project demands.
13. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,000-2,000
HPE relies on H-1B visas to fill technical roles, especially in engineering, software, and systems design. While the company has not faced significant public backlash, concerns about wage disparity and job displacement for U.S. workers have been raised in the broader tech sector.
14. Deloitte
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,000-2,500
Deloitte sponsors H-1B workers for roles in consulting, IT, and data analytics. While the firm provides competitive salaries, it has faced occasional criticisms of using H-1B visas to reduce labor costs, particularly in consulting and auditing positions.
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15. Intel
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,000-2,500
Intel hires foreign workers through H-1B visas for roles in semiconductor engineering, research, and development. While generally well-regarded for providing fair opportunities, the company has faced criticism for reducing its domestic workforce in favor of cheaper international labor at times.
16. Oracle
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,500-2,500
Oracle is a major sponsor of H-1B workers, particularly in software development and cloud computing. While it has been a strong advocate for skilled immigration, Oracle has faced some criticism for using H-1B visas to lower labor costs and for allegedly favoring foreign workers over U.S. citizens in certain cases.
17. Qualcomm
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 1,000-2,000
Qualcomm hires H-1B workers for technical roles in engineering and telecommunications. The company has faced challenges over its reliance on H-1B visas, with accusations that it uses foreign workers to undercut U.S. labor costs, especially in highly technical positions.
18. Nvidia
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 3,000-4,000
Nvidia, known for its graphics processing units (GPUs), sponsors H-1B visas for roles in software engineering, AI, and machine learning. While the company is generally seen as paying competitive wages, it has faced the same broader concerns regarding the impact of its foreign workforce on the U.S. labor market.
19. Ernst & Young (EY)
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 3,000-4,000
EY sponsors H-1B workers primarily in consulting and advisory roles. The firm has been part of the broader conversation around H-1B use in the consulting industry, with some allegations that it hires foreign workers to reduce costs, though it maintains that its practices align with global talent needs.
20. KPMG
Average H-1B Visas Sponsored (per year): 3,000-4,000
KPMG sponsors H-1B visas for consulting and accounting roles. While the company has a global focus, it has faced criticism for using H-1B workers in ways that may undermine wages and job opportunities for U.S. citizens, particularly in consulting and audit positions.
Note: The number of H-1B visas sponsored by these companies fluctuates yearly based on their hiring needs and the U.S. government’s policies regarding visa limits. Some companies, like TCS, Infosys, and Cognizant, have been more consistent in their sponsorship levels due to their large number of employees in the U.S. Most of these companies are in the IT, consulting, and technology sectors, which have a significant demand for specialized foreign talent.
These companies have generally defended their H-1B hiring practices, arguing that they bring in necessary talent for specialized roles, but concerns about wage suppression, job displacement, and unequal treatment of H-1B workers persist.