Indian IT Firms Retreat From New H-1B Hiring, Data Shows
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC — The number of new H-1B visas secured by Indian companies has plunged, marking a dramatic shift, Bloomberg reported, citing newly released U.S. government data.
According to the analysis, petitions for initial H-1B employment filed by Indian companies fell 37 percent for FY 2025. Only 4,573 petitions from the seven largest Indian firms were approved this year. Experts told Bloomberg that, among other factors, the decline reflects a strategic pivot: Indian IT giants are hiring more U.S. workers, reducing their reliance on new H-1B recruits.
Amazon topped all employers with 4,644 approvals for initial H-1B employment in FY 2025, followed by Meta, Microsoft, and Google. It was the first time U.S. technology companies occupied the top four slots.
Among Indian companies, Tata Consultancy Services remained the highest at No. 5, while LTIMindtree and HCL America barely stayed within the top 25.
The shifting landscape comes as India-born workers still account for more than 70 percent of all approved H-1B visas.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has once again defended the H-1B program, insisting that foreign workers are needed to help rebuild America’s chip-manufacturing workforce.
“If you are going to be making chips… we have to train our people how to make chips,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He argued that the U.S. lost semiconductor manufacturing to Taiwan “foolishly” and must now rebuild capacity with the help of overseas talent.
Trump had also backed the program in a recent Fox News interview, but his stance has ignited sharp criticism from within his own party. Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators have renewed calls to scrap or severely limit H-1B visas.
On November 14, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene reiterated on X her intention to introduce legislation to “ban H1B visas in all sectors” except health care. Representative Andy Ogles wrote the same day: “No more H1-Bs is a no-brainer.” (with IANS inputs)
