The H-1B visa program was created to help tech firms in the United States address labor shortages, allowing them to temporarily hire nonimmigrant workers to fill roles related to areas like computer programming or engineering. Today, the nation’s largest companies continue to use the H-1B visa program, gathering some of their employees from other countries to curate a workforce that matches their needs.
However, on September 19, 2025, the Trump Administration introduced new changes to the program, including a $100,000 processing payment. The move may create significant challenges for many current visa holders, as well as the employers who hire them.
Digital solutions provider Cognizant has been around since 1994. Today, the company has amplified its international presence, employing more than 340,000 people globally. Owing to its massive global reach, Cognizant has a history of sponsoring H-1B visas, with approval for 6,321 H-1B visas in 2024.
Like its Silicon Valley compatriots, Meta has been attracting foreign-born talent for years with thousands of workers employed across the world. In 2024, the company had 4,844 H-1B visas approved.
As one of the nation’s most established tech firms, IBM has long been a part of the global tech races. The company has made an effort to boost international student hiring, offering a variety of programs designed to attract global tech talent. IBM currently employs techies from regions across the globe such as Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, and had approval for 2,906 H-1B visas in 2024.
Cisco has been a part of the Silicon Valley scene for several decades, becoming a sprawling global IT network. The multinational conglomerate boasts over 90,000 employees in offices across the world, making it one of the most internationally focused high-tech firms. Cisco had approvals for 1,330 H-1B visas in 2024.
Tesla is a major U.S. automaker, recognized for its role in advancing electric vehicles and developing autonomous driving technology. The company is also a big supporter of the H1-B visa program, submitting more than 2,070 applications for foreign workers, according to H-1B Grader. Even Elon Musk, the company’s founder, came to the United States on an H-1B visa, and uses the program to hire employees across his various other companies as well.
Stripe is a fintech company that develops solutions for online and in-person payment processing. Its headquarters is in San Francisco and has offices in various countries. In the United States, Stripe has consistently filed LCA applications for prospective employees, and has a high approval rate. According to H-1B Grader, in 2025 the company submitted 219 applications and had a 100 percent approval rate.
Networking business Qualcomm has earned a reputation as one of the tech world’s most impactful companies. With over 170 offices in almost 30 countries, the company has begun amplifying its diversity and inclusion initiatives and has even established a Diversity Task Force to keep track of these measures. It received approval for 1,122 H-1B visas in 2024.
India-based company Wipro, with its U.S. headquarters in Seattle, Washington, provides global IT, consulting and business process services. It employs more than 230,000 people in 65 countries, and received approval for 1,634 H-1B visas in 2024.
ChatGPT developer OpenAI has sponsored H-1B visas for AI engineers in the past, but only sponsors a handful of individuals a year. According to the company’s residency program, it looks for researchers in fields such as deep learning, mathematics, physics, or neuroscience, and will provide immigration and sponsorship support for “exceptional” talent.
Salesforce is known for its cloud platform that supports customer service, sales and other departments with a range of tools. The company also fosters a culture of inclusivity by pursuing its 2030 equality goals. As a result, 20 percent of U.S. employees and 12 percent of U.S. leaders come from underrepresented minority groups. In addition, 45 percent of global employees and 32 percent of global leaders identify as women or non-binary.
IT services company Accenture has broadened its global reach since its founding in 1989. The company serves clients in more than 120 countries, making it a truly international organization. Accenture has a history of sponsoring H-1B visas, winning approvals for 2,157, visas in 2024, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
Since its inception during the 1970s, cloud technology provider Oracle has become an international household name. Presenting an employee base that exceeds 160,000, the company hosts a range of diversity and inclusion initiatives and focuses on strengthening its international standing. Oracle is one of many tech powerhouses that sponsors H-1B visas, and received approval for 2,070 H-1B visas in 2024.
Nvidia is one of the most valuable technology companies in the world, best known for providing the processors and computing infrastructure that power artificial intelligence development. It recruits talent globally, sponsoring H1-B visas for highly skilled workers. According to H-1B Grader, Nvidia submitted more than 1,300 LCAs in 2024, and has a very high approval rate.
Payal is one of the largest fintech companies in the world, with thousands of workers and several offices throughout the United States. The company develops payment solutions for consumers and businesses that facilitate peer-to-peer payments and business transactions. In 2024, the company submitted more than 720 H1-B visa applications.
Databricks’ analytics platform helps organizations build and run AI applications and workflows. It has also become a key player in the AI infrastructure space in recent years. According to H-1B Grader, Databricks sponsored employees needing H-1B visas, and in 2025 had over 300 application approvals. According to the company, it provides H-1B visas for high tech roles such as software engineers and solution architects.
IT innovator Capgemini may not be a Silicon Valley original, but the Paris-based company has undoubtedly made an impact on the world’s tech scene. The company boasts over 300,000 employees across more than 50 countries, making it a global tech leader. In 2024, the company had 2,795 H-1B visas approved.
Ernst & Young is a global consulting firm that supports businesses with tax guidance, legal expertise, workforce solutions and other services. The company has been awarded the global equality standard recognition for its efforts in DEI, and the EY Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence received accolades from the World Economic Forum. EY’s global executive signed a DEI statement as well, pledging the company’s continued commitment to DEI.
Intel is one of the world’s most recognizable tech corporations. Today, the company has dozens of offices across the globe, employing about 131,000 tech professionals. Being an epicenter of international tech talent, Intel received approval for 2,520 visas in 2024.
Historically the U.S. has a cap of 65,000 H-1B visas every year, with an additional 20,000 reserved for applicants with U.S. master’s degrees or doctorates. Like other U.S. visa programs, H-1Bs are obtained through a lottery system, and require both the applicant and the employer to meet various stipulations depending on the role. However, Trump’s new changes to the program may make obtaining one significantly harder.
Like other U.S. visas, obtaining an H-1B visa requires meeting stipulations for both the job applicant and the organization with the open job role.
To be eligible for an H-1B visa, a nonimmigrant applicant must hold a valid job offer from a U.S. employer for a role requiring specialty knowledge, as well as a U.S. bachelor’s degree required by the area of specialty from an accredited college or university.
Applicants without a U.S. bachelor’s degree may also be eligible by holding a foreign degree equivalent at the same education level or an unrestricted state license, registration or certification authorizing full practice of the specialty role.
Once a prospective employee receives a job offer from an eligible employer, the employer will prepare a labor condition application (LCA) to submit to the U.S. Department of Labor for certification. Following LCA certification, the employer will file a Form I-129 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If the Form I-129 is approved, the prospective employee may apply with the U.S. Department of State to obtain an H-1B visa.
From there, the applicant must enter a lottery system. If they’re selected, the employer has to pay several processing fees, which are usually between $2,000 to about $5,000. But with the new changes, the processing fee was raised to $100,000 for applications submitted after September 21, 2025. The changes were introduced as a way to boost employment among American workers, and could significantly curtail the number of H1-B visas employers sponsor.
For an employer to be eligible to provide an H-1B visa, the open role must require a practical application of an area of specialized knowledge, plus attainment of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent for entry in comparison to roles in similar fields. The employer must also be able to show that it normally requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level for the role, or that the degree requirement is common in its industry among similar roles and organizations.
Job candidates seeking to be sponsored for an H-1B visa must meet the general requirements for obtaining an H-1B visa and ensure the prospective employer is able and willing to sponsor them. It’s important that candidates express throughout the job interview process with a U.S. employer that they would require H-1B sponsorship to begin work. It may also be helpful to communicate with an immigration attorney before interviewing for a certain role to prepare an explanation of your work eligibility to the employer.
