H-1B Visa Approvals: Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft Dominate in FY 2025

Tech giants Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have emerged as the top beneficiaries in the H-1B visa approvals for initial employment in FY 2025. This information comes from a report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), which analysed data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These companies have received the highest number of approvals, marking a significant trend in the tech industry.

Amazon leads with 4,644 petition approvals, followed by Meta Platforms with 1,555, Microsoft with 1,394, and Google with 1,050. It's important to note that these figures may not represent individual employees since incumbents can receive multiple approvals due to job changes. This can lead to a skewed representation of the data.

The demand for H-1B visas remains high despite restrictions. In FY 2025, out of 442,000 applications for initial employment, only 85,000 visas were available. This includes 65,000 regular visas and an additional 20,000 for those with advanced degrees from US universities. As a result, around 300,000 applicants were rejected due to limited slots.

The rejection rate for initial employment applications increased slightly to 2.8% in FY 2025 from 2.5% in FY 2024. Experts argue that the number of H-1B visas is minimal compared to the US labour force. The demand for skilled workers remains high as companies face a shortage of expertise.

Indian companies have not performed well this year compared to previous years. Only three Indian firms made it to the top 25 employers list, down from seven last year. The restrictions imposed by the Trump administration have favoured US companies in securing more H-1B visas.

The NFAP report highlights that many US employers rely on H-1B visas to hire skilled foreign workers. Approximately 28,277 companies employed at least one H-1B visa holder. While 61% of these companies received approval for just one petition, others secured ten or fewer approvals.

Financial Implications for Employers

Employers hiring under the H-1B program must cover salaries and additional costs like legal and government fees. Filing the first petition can cost up to $34,900, with total expenses reaching $50,000 if sponsoring permanent residency. These costs are significant but necessary for accessing skilled talent.

Despite these expenses, demand for skilled workers remains robust. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a decrease in unemployment rates in computer and mathematics jobs from 3.4% to 3.0% between August 2024 and August 2025. In architecture and engineering fields, unemployment fell from 1.7% to 1.4% during the same period.

Geographical Distribution of Approvals

California led with the highest number of approved H-1B petitions for new jobs in 2025 at 21,559 approvals. Texas followed with 12,613 approvals, New York with 11,436, New Jersey with 7,729, and Virginia with 7,579. Among cities, New York topped with 7,811 approvals.

Arlington in Virginia had 4,836 approvals; Chicago had 2,923; San Jose had 2,383; Santa Clara had 2,286; and San Francisco had 2,222 approvals. These figures highlight key regions where tech talent is concentrated.

Industries Benefiting from H-1B Visas

The professional, scientific, and technical services industries hired the most H-1B workers in FY 2025. Other sectors included education, healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing, information technology (IT), finance and insurance.

Analysts caution against viewing job numbers as fixed. Data indicates that both foreign-born and US-born workers can thrive together in the workforce. From 2003 to 2024, US-born employees in computer science and mathematics grew by over 2.7 million—a rise of 141%—demonstrating potential growth opportunities for all workers.