H‑1B Filings Fall Sharply
What happened
Major US tech employers have cut back on H‑1B visa petitions this year, signaling tighter foreign hiring amid policy and cost pressures. Reports show Amazon, Google and Meta significantly reduced H‑1B filings as firms recalibrate international recruiting strategies and the fresher‑role pipeline tightens globally. (businessinsider.com)
Why it matters
Amazon’s certified H‑1B applications fell from 4,647 in Q1 of fiscal 2025 to 3,057 in the same quarter of fiscal 2026, while Google and Meta each saw filings drop by about half over the year. (finance.yahoo.com) USCIS data show overall registrations for the FY2026 H‑1B cap dropped roughly 26.9% — from 470,342 eligible registrations in FY2025 to 343,981 in FY2026 — and the agency says that anti‑fraud changes and new rules have reduced duplicate and improper entries. (fragomen.com) The immediate policy drivers are a one‑time $100,000 payment required on many new H‑1B petitions filed after Sept. 21, 2025, and a shift in how USCIS allocates visas: the selection process has been changed to favor higher‑paid beneficiaries rather than a pure random lottery, which raises the cost and reduces the odds for lower‑paid, entry‑level sponsorships. (uscis.gov 1) (uscis.gov 2) “Certified applications” in the Department of Labor data refer to Labor Condition Applications (the employer’s attestation about wages and working conditions) that the Labor Department approved before employers file H‑1B petitions with USCIS; the FY2026 selection rate reported by USCIS — the share of unique registrants chosen in the cap process — rose to about 35.3% as total registrations fell, meaning fewer overall slots were contested by a smaller pool. (dol.gov) (fragomen.com) Big firms are reacting in two observable ways: cutting the number of new petitions overall as headcount shrinks (Amazon cut thousands of corporate roles in late 2025), and shifting hiring toward higher‑paid, specialized roles that get better odds under wage‑weighted selection — while companies focused on AI infrastructure, like Nvidia, bucked the trend and increased filings. (finance.yahoo.com) (letsdatascience.com) Practical signals for recruiting timelines and employer targeting are visible in the rules: cap‑exempt employers (universities, nonprofit research organizations, and government research labs) can file H‑1B petitions year‑round outside the lottery, and the new wage‑weighted system (effective Feb. 27, 2026) formally advantages higher‑paid hires — both facts that will affect which kinds of roles and employers are more likely to sponsor new international hires. (myvisajobs.com) (uscis.gov)
Key numbers
- Major US tech employers have cut back on H‑1B visa petitions this year, signaling tighter foreign hiring amid policy and cost pressures.
- Reports show Amazon, Google and Meta significantly reduced H‑1B filings as firms recalibrate international recruiting strategies and the fresher‑role pipeline tightens globally.
- (businessinsider.com) Amazon’s certified H‑1B applications fell from 4,647 in Q1 of fiscal 2025 to 3,057 in the same quarter of fiscal 2026, while Google and Meta each saw filings drop by about half over the year.
- (fragomen.com) The immediate policy drivers are a one‑time $100,000 payment required on many new H‑1B petitions filed after Sept.
What happens next
- 27, 2026) formally advantages higher‑paid hires — both facts that will affect which kinds of roles and employers are more likely to sponsor new international hires.
Quick answers
What happened in H‑1B Filings Fall Sharply?
Major US tech employers have cut back on H‑1B visa petitions this year, signaling tighter foreign hiring amid policy and cost pressures. Reports show Amazon, Google and Meta significantly reduced H‑1B filings as firms recalibrate international recruiting strategies and the fresher‑role pipeline tightens globally. (businessinsider.com)
Why does H‑1B Filings Fall Sharply matter?
Amazon’s certified H‑1B applications fell from 4,647 in Q1 of fiscal 2025 to 3,057 in the same quarter of fiscal 2026, while Google and Meta each saw filings drop by about half over the year. (finance.yahoo.com) USCIS data show overall registrations for the FY2026 H‑1B cap dropped roughly 26.9% — from 470,342 eligible registrations in FY2025 to 343,981 in FY2026 — and the agency says that anti‑fraud changes and new rules have reduced duplicate and improper entries. (fragomen.com) The immediate policy drivers are a one‑time $100,000 payment required on many new H‑1B petitions filed after Sept. 21, 2025, and a shift in how USCIS allocates visas: the selection process has been changed to favor higher‑paid beneficiaries rather than a pure random lottery, which raises the cost and reduces the odds for lower‑paid, entry‑level sponsorships. (uscis.gov 1) (uscis.gov 2) “Certified applications” in the Department of Labor data refer to Labor Condition Applications (the employer’s attestation about wages and working conditions) that the Labor Department approved before employers file H‑1B petitions with USCIS; the FY2026 selection rate reported by USCIS — the share of unique registrants chosen in the cap process — rose to about 35.3% as total registrations fell, meaning fewer overall slots were contested by a smaller pool. (dol.gov) (fragomen.com) Big firms are reacting in two observable ways: cutting the number of new petitions overall as headcount shrinks (Amazon cut thousands of corporate roles in late 2025), and shifting hiring toward higher‑paid, specialized roles that get better odds under wage‑weighted selection — while companies focused on AI infrastructure, like Nvidia, bucked the trend and increased filings. (finance.yahoo.com) (letsdatascience.com) Practical signals for recruiting timelines and employer targeting are visible in the rules: cap‑exempt employers (universities, nonprofit research organizations, and government research labs) can file H‑1B petitions year‑round outside the lottery, and the new wage‑weighted system (effective Feb. 27, 2026) formally advantages higher‑paid hires — both facts that will affect which kinds of roles and employers are more likely to sponsor new international hires. (myvisajobs.com) (uscis.gov)
