Despite ongoing political and public scrutiny, top tech companies in the U.S. continue to rely heavily on the H-1B visa program to hire foreign talent. The program permits up to 85,000 skilled foreign workers annually through a lottery system. However, the system faces new challenges under President Donald Trump’s second term, with conservative figures and even some former supporters calling for reforms or limitations.
A recent appointment of Indian American Sriram Krishnan as a senior AI advisor drew backlash from Trump allies, highlighting the growing divide over skilled immigration. Lawmakers John Kennedy and Rick Scott also proposed a resolution to undo a Biden-era rule that allowed longer renewals of work permits, indicating increased regulatory actions may follow.
Meanwhile, some tech leaders like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen advocate overhauling the program, suggesting higher wages for visa holders and limiting access to certain roles. Musk labeled the H-1B system “broken” and in need of serious reform.
Despite the debate, major tech companies continue to submit thousands of applications. An analysis of Department of Labor data shows that firms like Amazon (14,783 filings), Microsoft (5,695), Google (5,537), Meta (4,844), and Apple (3,880) are among the top H-1B sponsors in fiscal year 2024. These visas help fill roles in engineering, data science, and product management—skills companies claim are hard to find locally.
Though not every application leads to a hire, the volume of filings highlights how dependent the tech industry remains on global talent despite changing political winds and calls for reform.
