The H-1B visa conversation is once again picking up momentum, with fresh data and online chatter pointing to a noticeable shift in hiring patterns. Several large employers appear to be scaling back filings this fiscal year, including Walmart and Goldman Sachs, raising questions about whether opportunities for foreign workers are tightening.
The sentiment is also playing out in real time on forums like Reddit, where job seekers are comparing notes. One user wrote, “Companies not hiring h1b holders am I doing something wrong? or is this happening for real, I know a lot of companies stopped hiring h1b holders like Walmart, 7-11 etc but since March I am seeing almost no company is hiring h1b holders. like to know if other job seekers are seeing the same trend?”
The responses reflect a mix of frustration and realism about the broader job market. One commenter said, “It would make sense given the recent awareness around H-1B. Popular support is near-zero.” Another added, “Tbh, the job market is almost dead. Like, who’s hiring right now? Regardless of h1b visas or not, it is really hard to get a job. And much harder to get one with a visa.”
READ: H-1B visa demand falls: Walmart, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase cut hiring (April 10, 2026)
Some, however, pointed out that hiring has not disappeared entirely but has become more selective. One user shared, “Yes for the right person they are. We hired a few folks on H1B at ford. Those were not entry levels more like at least 4 – 5 years pf work experience. ( Data Science and BI).” The comment highlights a shift toward experienced candidates rather than entry-level hires.
Others pointed to policy and cost-related hurdles. A healthcare worker wrote, “I work in healthcare and we have stopped new filings due to the fee. We still do transfers, adjustments of status, but can’t do new filings. I know our legal team has filed for exemptions, but it seems to be at a stalemate and from what I have heard, no other healthcare system has been granted an exemption either. Between the H1B fee, and now the immigrant visa ban on 75 countries, it has created a lot of headaches. Thankfully some of the new petitions that were filed prior to September have been approved, but it’s taken a long time to get those approvals. So between the fee, and the timelines for H1Bs it’s likely that companies are scaling back their H1B hiring.”
There are also sharper, more polarised takes emerging in these discussions. One comment read, “The fake H1bs are outrageous!!! Regular skilled H1bs are fine. They came in droves during Obambas golden age and now they are holding green cards too.” Another user simply echoed the broader mood, writing, “Same experience.”
READ: ‘Side hustles’ on H-1B? Hidden risks and where immigration law draws the line (April 9, 2026)
A recurring theme is the slowdown among smaller employers. As one commenter put it, “H1B hiring from startup/mid size companies has drastically reduced, yes. Not sure why there is so much positivity on h1b here like ??? FAANG companies are still hiring but not at scale. So yes, there’s been a drastic shift in hiring as compared to 5 years ago or maybe even 2 years ago. :)”
The anecdotal evidence lines up with official data. Walmart filed 312 certified H-1B visa applications in the final three months of 2025, marking a sharp decline from previous years, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor. The trend is not isolated. Major tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have also reduced their reliance on the H-1B program following policy changes introduced under Donald Trump that made visas more expensive and harder to secure.
Even among the biggest sponsors, the slowdown is visible. Amazon, which continues to lead in overall filings, saw its quarterly certified applications fall to 3,057 from 4,647 a year earlier, a drop of roughly one-third. Financial giants like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase have also pulled back on H-1B filings over the past year.
Thus, both the data and the lived experiences of job seekers suggest a cooling phase for H-1B hiring. While opportunities have not disappeared, the bar appears higher, the process more complex, and the overall demand more restrained than in previous years.