America’s biggest tech giants have overtaken Indian IT firms in new H-1B hiring for the first time. The latest USCIS data analysed by NFAP shows a clear shift in who controls the visa pipeline.
Big Tech Leads Initial Approvals
This year, 114,806 initial H-1B visas were approved for new jobs. Another 291,542 extensions and transfers pushed total approvals to over 406,000. For the first time, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google secured the top four spots in initial approvals.
Breakdown of Big Tech Wins
Amazon alone received 4,644 new H-1Bs. Meta followed with 1,555, Microsoft with 1,394, and Google with 1,050. These companies are driving a massive AI wave worth over $380 billion this year. Nearly 70 percent of US computer science and AI graduate students are from India, feeding talent into these firms.
Indian IT Firms Lose Ground
Only TCS, LTIMindtree, and HCL America managed to enter the top 25 this year. The top seven Indian companies secured just 4,573 approvals. This marks a 37 percent drop from 2024 and a massive 70 percent fall compared to their 2015 peak.
Reasons Behind the Shift
Experts link the change to stricter US hiring rules that push employers to favour American workers. Remote work from India and the increased use of L-1 visas have also weakened the traditional outsourcing model.
Rising Competition for Limited Slots
The real fight remains for the 85,000 new H-1B slots. More than 442,000 people, largely from India and China, entered the lottery. USCIS denial rates stayed low at 2.8 percent, only slightly higher than last year’s 2.5 percent, according to NFAP.
Uncertain Future Under Policy Shifts
Nearly 700,000 people currently hold H-1B visas in the US, many of them Indians. Any new restrictions under a Trump government could push companies to offshore more work to India. With the rapid growth of AI and changing visa rules, the job market is more competitive than ever.
What Indian Talent Must Prepare For
Experts say employers no longer want generic resumes. They look for strong AI and ML skills. The era of mass H-1B sponsorship is slowly fading, pushing Indian engineers to rethink their strategy.
