H-1B Visa Filings Drop 50% at Google, Meta, Amazon in 2026

Google and Meta each cut their H-1B visa filings by roughly 50% in 2026. Amazon’s certified petitions dropped from 4,647 to 3,057 in a single year. Across all employers, H-1B visa filings in 2026 show eligible registrations falling 27% — from over 470,000 to just 344,000. If you work in tech and depend on US visa sponsorship, these numbers mark a structural shift, not a temporary dip.

Two forces are converging: a sustained wave of Big Tech layoffs and two major policy changes that raised the cost and complexity of sponsoring foreign workers. A new $100,000 fee and a redesigned lottery now define who gets sponsored — and who doesn’t.

This deep dive covers the exact numbers, the new rules driving them, and what the decline means for tech workers in Southeast Asia and globally.

The Numbers Behind the 2026 H-1B Decline

US Labor Department data shows a clear pattern. Amazon’s certified H-1B applications fell from 4,647 in Q1 fiscal 2025 to 3,057 in the same quarter a year later — a 34% drop. Google and Meta each saw new H-1B filings decline approximately 50% year-over-year. Microsoft also recorded significant declines, though it did not disclose precise figures.

One notable exception: Nvidia’s filings rose from 369 to 434, reflecting the company’s aggressive AI hardware hiring even as the rest of the industry contracts. The broader picture is stark — eligible H-1B registrations for fiscal 2026 fell to approximately 344,000, down 27% from more than 470,000 the year before.

Why the Timing Matters

These declines arrive during prolonged layoffs across Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft — driven partly by AI automation replacing some roles and partly by the post-pandemic hiring correction. When a company is already cutting headcount, adding the cost and complexity of new H-1B sponsorships is a burden many HR teams are quietly avoiding.

Two New Rules That Rewrote the Economics

Two policy changes, both introduced between September 2025 and February 2026, fundamentally changed the math of H-1B sponsorship:

• $100,000 Supplemental Fee (effective September 21, 2025): Any employer filing a new H-1B petition for a worker currently outside the United States — or applying through consular processing — now pays a one-time $100,000 fee on top of existing petition costs. Renewals and change-of-status filings for workers already in the US are exempt.
• Wage-Weighted Lottery (effective February 27, 2026): The previous random draw was replaced with a system that ties selection odds to DOL wage levels. Level IV (highest wage) registrations receive four lottery entries. Level I (entry-level) registrations receive one. USCIS estimates Level IV registrations reach approximately 60% selection probability; Level I falls to around 15%.
• Combined impact: Sponsoring a senior engineer from abroad remains financially viable. Sponsoring entry-level international talent has become either prohibitively expensive or statistically unlikely — often both.

For broader coverage of tech industry shifts, see our Deep Dive section.

What the H-1B Drop Means for Tech Workers in Asia

The H-1B visa has been the primary pathway for skilled workers from India, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia to build careers at US tech companies. The new rules hit entry-level applicants hardest — exactly the cohort that includes recent graduates from Asian universities entering the global job market.

Here is what the changes mean in practice:

1. Entry-level roles are harder to sponsor. The wage-weighted system makes it risky to sponsor Level I or Level II workers from abroad. Companies will concentrate H-1B slots on senior engineers and specialists.
2. Offshore hiring pipelines are disrupted. The $100,000 fee specifically targets workers outside the US. For a mid-level hire, this fee can exceed a full year’s additional employment cost.
3. Regional tech hubs may benefit. If US companies reduce international recruitment, offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City may see stronger demand as firms expand locally rather than sponsor US-based visas.
4. AI hardware talent is an exception. Nvidia’s counter-trend shows that companies with acute scarcity in GPU and AI hardware expertise will absorb higher costs to recruit globally.
5. F-1 students already in the US are partly shielded. International students on F-1 visas already studying or working in the US are exempt from the $100,000 fee on change-of-status H-1B filings, preserving one viable pathway.

According to the official USCIS announcement on H-1B wage-weighted selection, the changes are designed to prioritize high-skill, high-wage positions — a goal that benefits US labor market outcomes but fundamentally reshapes global talent flows.

Common Questions — H-1B Visa Filings 2026

Q: Why did Google and Meta cut H-1B filings by 50% in 2026?

A: Both companies reduced H-1B filings due to ongoing layoffs that cut overall headcount needs and new policy changes that raised the cost of sponsoring overseas workers. A $100,000 new-hire fee and a lottery system that disadvantages entry-level applicants shifted the economics sharply against broad sponsorship programs.

Q: What is the new $100,000 H-1B fee and who pays it?

A: The $100,000 supplemental fee applies to any employer filing a new H-1B petition for a worker currently outside the United States or applying through consular processing. It became effective September 21, 2025. The fee does not apply to renewals or change-of-status filings for H-1B holders already inside the US.

Q: How does the wage-weighted H-1B lottery work?

A: Instead of a random draw, H-1B selections now assign entries based on DOL wage levels. Level IV (highest wage tier) registrations receive four lottery entries; Level I receives one. USCIS estimates this gives senior roles approximately 60% selection odds versus roughly 15% for entry-level positions, effective February 27, 2026.

Q: Will H-1B filings recover in 2027?

A: Recovery depends on whether tech hiring rebounds and whether the fee and lottery structures are revised. Nvidia’s continued H-1B growth — bucking the industry trend — shows that companies with acute talent needs will absorb the new costs. Broader recovery will likely follow any sustained rebound in tech hiring or future USCIS policy adjustments.

Conclusion

Three things stand out from the 2026 H-1B data. First, the decline is structural: layoffs, a $100,000 new-hire fee, and a lottery that disadvantages entry-level applicants have together closed off broad sponsorship programs. Second, the concentration at the top of the wage scale is intensifying — senior engineers maintain viable odds while junior international hires face near-impossible economics. Third, Nvidia’s counter-trend proves the rule: extreme talent scarcity overrides cost barriers.

For tech professionals in Southeast Asia, the traditional US H-1B route has become narrower and more expensive. Building skills that command Level IV wages, targeting companies with genuine talent shortages, or focusing on regional tech hubs are the most viable paths forward. The restructuring of global tech talent flows is accelerating — and staying informed is the first step.

Explore our AI coverage to understand how automation is reshaping the very roles these visa programs were designed to fill.

Last Updated: April 13, 2026