Washington, D.C.: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has emerged as the second-highest recipient of H-1B visas in 2025, with 5,505 approvals, trailing Amazon, which tops the list with 10,044 approvals, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Other major beneficiaries of the H-1B program include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Trump’s $100K H-1B Visa Fee Announcement
In a major policy shift, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on September 19, 2025, imposing an annual $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. The new rule, effective September 21, 2025, will apply to all new petitions and renewals, unless extended beyond its 12-month term.
The White House stated that the move aims to curb “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program, citing data that the foreign STEM workforce in the US more than doubled from 1.2 million in 2000 to nearly 2.5 million in 2019, while domestic STEM employment grew only 44.5% in the same period.
“Information technology firms have prominently manipulated the H-1B system, harming American workers in computer-related fields,” the proclamation stated, adding that companies often close IT divisions and outsource work overseas to save costs.
Impact on Indian IT Companies
Indian IT service providers such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra are among the largest users of H-1B visas, sending thousands of skilled engineers to work on client projects in the US. The new $100K annual fee is expected to significantly increase operational costs for these firms and may lead to higher billing rates for clients.
The proclamation also cited examples of companies receiving thousands of H-1B approvals while simultaneously announcing massive layoffs of American workers, claiming this practice has contributed to wage suppression and job losses in the tech sector.
USCIS Reaches H-1B Cap for FY 2026
USCIS confirmed in July that it had received enough petitions to meet the 65,000 H-1B regular cap and the 20,000 advanced degree exemption (Master’s cap) for fiscal year 2026, signaling continued high demand for skilled foreign talent despite the rising regulatory hurdles.
Industry experts warn that the new fee may discourage small and mid-size firms from hiring global talent, potentially creating a skills shortage in key tech areas.