H-1B visa filings by major U.S. tech companies fell sharply in late 2025 and early 2026, reflecting a combination of industry layoffs and tighter immigration policies, according to federal data and industry reports.
New figures show that leading firms including Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft significantly reduced their filings for high-skilled foreign workers. Amazon’s certified applications, for example, dropped from 4,647 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 to 3,057 in the same period a year later.
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The broader decline aligns with a cooling tech labor market. The sector has shed hundreds of thousands of jobs in recent years, with companies shifting toward leaner operations and prioritizing artificial intelligence investments. Just this week, Oracle laid off 33,000 employees globally.
At the same time, policy changes under President Donald Trump have raised barriers to hiring foreign workers. New rules introduced in 2025 increased scrutiny of applications including social media vetting and imposed higher costs such as the debated $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applicants outside the U.S. The H-1B lottery system has also changed from a randomized model to a wage-weighted process, prompting many employers to scale back sponsorship.
Eligible H-1B registrations fell by about 27% for fiscal 2026, declining to roughly 344,000 from more than 470,000 a year earlier, per federal data. In some analyses, total registrations dropped even more sharply following anti-fraud reforms that limited multiple entries per applicant.
Despite fewer filings, the annual cap of 85,000 visas remains unchanged, meaning a smaller applicant pool has improved selection odds. Immigration attorneys say selection rates have climbed to around 50% in the latest cycle.
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The shift is being felt acutely by international students and skilled workers, particularly from countries such as India, who rely on H-1B sponsorship to remain in the United States. With fewer opportunities and stricter rules, many are facing increased uncertainty about long-term employment and residency prospects.
Analysts say the trend signals a broader reset in the U.S. tech hiring model, where economic pressures and policy changes are reshaping how companies access global talent.