H-1B visa approvals: Amazon, Meta, Microsoft lead, Indian IT faces 70% fall

New NFAP figures show a steep fall in new H-1B approvals for Indian IT companies in FY 2025, while Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google expanded their hiring

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The top seven India-based IT companies secured only 4,573 approvals for new H-1B employment in FY 2025, a fall of 70% since 2015 and 37% lower than 2024, according to new figures from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). The numbers show a widening gap between Indian IT firms and America’s largest technology companies, which are spending heavily on artificial intelligence and bringing in foreign-born graduates to build those systems inside the United States.

 

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was the only Indian IT company in the top five for continuing-employment approvals this year. But its extension denial rate rose to 7% in 2025, up from 4% in 2024.

 

NFAP said the overall denial rate for continuing-employment H-1B petitions remained low, at 1.9% in FY 2025, compared with 1.8% in FY 2024 and 2.4% in FY 2023.

 

What the data shows for Indian IT firms

 

In FY 2025, TCS received 5,293 approvals for continuing employment and 846 for initial employment, down sharply from 1,452 initial approvals in 2024. Only three Indian companies appeared among the top 25 employers for new H-1B approvals this year.

 

Stuart Anderson, the executive director of NFAP, said the shift reflects changing employer behaviour. “The numbers show Indian-based companies now deliver IT services to US businesses using relatively few H-1B visas, while the largest US technology companies are hiring many individuals, including recent foreign-born graduate students from US universities, to help build AI in the United States after investing several hundred billion dollars to develop artificial intelligence,” Anderson told Newsweek.

 

The analysis draws on data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ H-1B Employer Data Hub. The data covers the period before the Trump administration introduced measures such as a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa recipient.

 

How US tech firms took all top four slots for initial approvals

 

Amazon led all employers in FY 2025 with 4,644 H-1B approvals for initial employment. Meta Platforms followed with 1,555 approvals, Microsoft with 1,394 and Google with 1,050. NFAP said this is the first time US companies have taken all four top positions.

 

“This is the first time these four large US technology companies have held the top four spots for approvals of new H-1B petitions. The companies are hiring talent to complement the $380 billion spent on AI and related capital expenditures in 2025,” NFAP said.

 

TCS was the only Indian IT firm in the top five for new H-1B hiring, with 846 initial-employment approvals.

 

For continuing employment, Amazon again topped the list with 14,532 approvals, followed by TCS (5,293), Microsoft (4,863), Meta Platforms (4,740), Apple (4,610) and Google (4,509).

 

Which employers dominated H-1B approvals and how denial rates shifted

 

Amazon

FY 2025: 4,644 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 3,871 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 4,052 approvals | 1%

 

Meta Platforms

FY 2025: 1,555 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 920 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2023: 735 approvals | 0.4%

 

Microsoft

FY 2025: 1,394 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2024: 1,264 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2023: 987 approvals | 0.2%

 

Google

FY 2025: 1,050 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 1,058 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 1,267 approvals | 1%

 

TCS

FY 2025: 846 approvals | 2%

FY 2024: 1,452 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 1,174 approvals | 4%

 

Apple

FY 2025: 823 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2024: 864 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 707 approvals | 1%

 

Goldman Sachs

FY 2025: 746 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 678 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2023: 349 approvals | 0%

 

Cognizant

FY 2025: 743 approvals | 4%

FY 2024: 2,873 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 2,597 approvals | 1%

 

Ernst & Young

FY 2025: 718 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 714 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 580 approvals | 1%

 

Intel

FY 2025: 635 approvals | 3%

FY 2024: 851 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 519 approvals | 1%

 

Nvidia

FY 2025: 563 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 376 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 291 approvals | 0%

 

JPMorgan Chase

FY 2025: 553 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2024: 468 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 453 approvals | 0.4%

 

IBM

FY 2025: 501 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 1,348 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2023: 979 approvals | 1%

 

Oracle

FY 2025: 482 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 379 approvals | 0%

FY 2023: 342 approvals | 0.3%

 

Walmart

FY 2025: 478 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 654 approvals | 0.5%

FY 2023: 435 approvals | 1%

 

ByteDance

FY 2025: 449 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 424 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 153 approvals | 1%

 

Deloitte

FY 2025: 432 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 891 approvals | 0.4%

FY 2023: 591 approvals | 1%

 

TikTok

FY 2025: 412 approvals | 4%

FY 2024: 271 approvals | 2%

FY 2023: 115 approvals | 2%

 

Capgemini

FY 2025: 401 approvals | 4%

FY 2024: 1,041 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 1,110 approvals | 1%

 

LTIMindtree

FY 2025: 401 approvals | 5%

FY 2024: 798 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 914 approvals | 0.4%

 

HCL America

FY 2025: 379 approvals | 6%

FY 2024: 1,248 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 715 approvals | 4%

 

Citibank

FY 2025: 371 approvals | 0.3%

FY 2024: 399 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 202 approvals | 0.5%

 

Tesla

FY 2025: 319 approvals | 2%

FY 2024: 742 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 328 approvals | 0%

 

Avant Healthcare

FY 2025: 308 approvals | 1%

FY 2024: 30 approvals | 0.3%

FY 2023: 15 approvals | 0%

 

McKinsey & Co

FY 2025: 303 approvals | 2%

FY 2024: 477 approvals | 1%

FY 2023: 290 approvals | 1%

 

How denial rates for new H-1B petitions have shifted over time

 

FY 2025: 2.8%

FY 2024: 2.5%

FY 2023: 3.5%

FY 2022: 2.2%

FY 2021: 4%

FY 2020: 13%

FY 2019: 21%

FY 2018: 24%

FY 2017: 13%

FY 2016: 10%

FY 2015: 6%

FY 2014: 8%

FY 2013: 7%

FY 2012: 5%

FY 2011: 7%

 

How continuing-employment denial rates compare across the years

 

FY 2025: 1.9%

FY 2024: 1.8%

FY 2023: 2.4%

FY 2022: 1.9%

FY 2021: 2%

FY 2020: 7%

FY 2019: 12%

FY 2018: 12%

FY 2017: 5%

FY 2016: 4%

FY 2015: 3%

FY 2014: 3%

FY 2013: 3%

FY 2012: 3%

FY 2011: 3%

FY 2010: 5%

 

Where initial H-1B approvals were concentrated in FY 2025

 

California employers received 21,559 initial-employment approvals in FY 2025. Texas followed with 12,613, New York with 11,436, New Jersey with 7,729 and Virginia with 7,579.

 

New York City issued the most approvals for initial employment (7,811), followed by Arlington, Virginia (4,836), Chicago (2,923), San Jose (2,383), Santa Clara (2,286) and San Francisco (2,222).

 

Why H-1B visas remain central to the US skilled workforce

 

H-1B visas continue to be one of the only ways for skilled foreign nationals, including international students, to build long-term careers in the United States. International students make up 71% of full-time graduate enrolments in computer and information sciences and 73% in electrical and computer engineering at US universities. USCIS data shows nearly two-thirds of H-1B holders have a master’s degree or above.

 

NFAP estimates around 700,000 people currently live and work in the United States on H-1B visas.

 

Which Trump-era policies continue to shape H-1B processes

 

Policy moves from Donald Trump’s first term continue to shape H-1B processes today:

 

• A $100,000 fee on new H-1B entrants mirrors an earlier action under section 212(f).

• A proposed rule may tighten the criteria for specialty occupations.

• Another proposal could revive the blocked 2020 Department of Labor wage rule.

• A September 2025 proposal will shift the lottery to favour managers and senior staff over recent graduates.

• A separate rule affecting international students would allow adjudicators to revisit earlier accepted facts, a practice that previously increased denials for extensions.