The Crossbill News Desk
An analysis of US data by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a non-partisan think tank, reveals a significant decline of over 50% in H-1B visa approvals for Indian IT companies since 2015.
The study highlights that the top seven Indian IT firms received only 7,299 H-1B approvals for new employment in fiscal year 2024, a sharp drop from 14,792 approvals in fiscal year 2015, The Economic Times reported.
The H-1B visa is a temporary non-immigrant visa that allows skilled workers and graduates to work in the US in specialized occupations.
According to the report, in FY24, nearly half (49.1%) of approved H-1B petitions were in professional, scientific, and technical services, followed by educational services (11.9%), manufacturing (9.3%), and healthcare and social assistance (6.5%).
Amazon, the largest sponsor of H-1B visas, approved 3,871 petitions in FY24, down from 4,052 in the previous year.
Similarly, major Indian IT companies such as Cognizant (2,837), Infosys (2,504), and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (1,452) also saw significant declines in H-1B approvals, the report states.
Several analysts attribute this decline to the global recession and evolving workforce needs.
Ajay Sharma, founder of Abhinav Immigration Services, suggested that the global downturn and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) have impacted business models, reducing the demand for certain positions in IT companies.
“The only reason I can think of is that the global recession and AI are impacting the business models of all major players. They do not need to hire for redundant positions or for positions in divisions that are losing business due to the recession.” Sharma told The Economic Times.
The NFAP’s findings also pointed to the potential for increased denial rates, citing the restrictive visa policies implemented under the Trump administration. The former president’s administration had imposed stringent measures on H-1B and L-1 visas, which could have long-term effects on IT firms that heavily depend on these work permits.
In contrast, companies like Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, saw a significant increase in H-1B approvals. Tesla received 742 approvals in FY24, more than double the 328 approvals it received in the previous year.
This performance propelled Tesla to the 16th position among the top 25 H-1B employers.
The study highlights that the top seven Indian IT firms received only 7,299 H-1B approvals for new employment in fiscal year 2024, a sharp drop from 14,792 approvals in fiscal year 2015, The Economic Times reported.
The H-1B visa is a temporary non-immigrant visa that allows skilled workers and graduates to work in the US in specialized occupations.
According to the report, in FY24, nearly half (49.1%) of approved H-1B petitions were in professional, scientific, and technical services, followed by educational services (11.9%), manufacturing (9.3%), and healthcare and social assistance (6.5%).
Amazon, the largest sponsor of H-1B visas, approved 3,871 petitions in FY24, down from 4,052 in the previous year.
Similarly, major Indian IT companies such as Cognizant (2,837), Infosys (2,504), and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (1,452) also saw significant declines in H-1B approvals, the report states.
Several analysts attribute this decline to the global recession and evolving workforce needs.
Ajay Sharma, founder of Abhinav Immigration Services, suggested that the global downturn and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) have impacted business models, reducing the demand for certain positions in IT companies.
“The only reason I can think of is that the global recession and AI are impacting the business models of all major players. They do not need to hire for redundant positions or for positions in divisions that are losing business due to the recession.” Sharma told The Economic Times.
The NFAP’s findings also pointed to the potential for increased denial rates, citing the restrictive visa policies implemented under the Trump administration. The former president’s administration had imposed stringent measures on H-1B and L-1 visas, which could have long-term effects on IT firms that heavily depend on these work permits.
In contrast, companies like Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, saw a significant increase in H-1B approvals. Tesla received 742 approvals in FY24, more than double the 328 approvals it received in the previous year.
This performance propelled Tesla to the 16th position among the top 25 H-1B employers.
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