H-1B & Talent

H-1B & Talent is a data page on the Immigration desk of Glassbox Auditing. H-1B approvals for new jobs and for extensions by fiscal year, the top employers, industries and states, a lookup by employer, and immigration lobbying. Approvals track demand for software, engineering and research workers at the largest tech and IT-services firms.

Last updated: 29 Sep 2026.

What is the latest reading?

H-1B new-employment approvals (complete fiscal years): 126,985 approvals as of 2026, +27.4% since 2009. Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.

What is on this page today?

989 lobbying filings listed immigration as an issue in 2026, -25% on 2025, from 357 clients — most filings: FWD.US 12, Microsoft Corporation 11, American Medical Association 8 · 163 list only immigration · registrations and quarterly reports (Lobbying Disclosure Act reports, 30 Dec 2026)
Amazon.com Services LLC: 4,171 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +39% on FY2025 — #1 employer by initial approvals · 7,839 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) AMZN
Google LLC: 2,204 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +110% on FY2025 — #2 employer by initial approvals · 3,959 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) GOOGL
Infosys Limited: 2,088 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +712% on FY2025 — #3 employer by initial approvals · 2,118 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) INFY
New H-1B approvals: 126,985 in fiscal 2026, +11% on 2025 — 114,798 in 2025 (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026)
Apple Inc: 1,514 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +84% on FY2025 — #5 employer by initial approvals · 3,771 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) AAPL
Amazon Development Center US Inc: 1,018 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +14% on FY2025 — #6 employer by initial approvals · 1,005 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) AMZN
Tesla Inc: 925 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +190% on FY2025 — #7 employer by initial approvals · 1,443 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) TSLA
Meta Platforms Inc: 888 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, -43% on FY2025 — #8 employer by initial approvals · 3,109 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026) META
New H-1B approvals in fiscal 2026 went most to employers in professional, scientific and technical services (incl. IT consulting): 55,603 of 126,985 (44%) — against fiscal 2025: professional, scientific and technical services +26%, manufacturing +31%, education -32% · industry of the employer's filing (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026)
California led new H-1B approvals by filing state in fiscal 2026: 25,857 of 126,857 (20%) — against fiscal 2025: California +20%, Texas +32%, New York +5% · the employer's filing state, not where the worker lives (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026)
Tata Consultancy Services Limited: 1,557 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, +84% on FY2025 — #4 employer by initial approvals · 3,982 continuing approvals (USCIS, 29 Sep 2026)

Where does the data come from?

Items on this page come from Lobbying Disclosure Act reports; USCIS. Each item links to its own source. All sources, how items are checked.

What does this page lead to?

Job Listings (Companies): The biggest H-1B employers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and IT-services firms such as Cognizant and Infosys) are among the largest tech hirers, and their approvals move with their hiring. (moves the same way; months; company scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Labor Market (Macro): Approvals track demand for software and engineering workers, so they tend to move with job openings in the information industry (JOLTS). (moves the same way; months; economy scale) Source: FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
Interest Groups (People & Money): H-1B rules draw heavy lobbying from tech firms, IT-services firms and universities (lda.gov filings), and the companies' PACs also give to the lawmakers who write immigration law. (moves the same way; quarters; sector scale) Source: Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (lda.gov).
AI Companies (AI): AI labs and the big tech firms that fund them sponsor many foreign-born researchers and engineers, so H-1B rules and fees bear on their hiring costs. (either way, depending on the cause; months; company scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Economies & Debt (World Powers): Indian citizens receive about seven in ten H-1B approvals, and India's IT-services exporters staff U.S. clients through them, so H-1B rules reach India's service exports. (either way, depending on the cause; years; global scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Degrees & Colleges (Education): The chance of an H-1B after graduating is part of what draws foreign students into U.S. computer science and engineering programs. (moves the same way; years; sector scale) Source: IPEDS completions via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By).
US Map (Domestic Intelligence): H-1B workers concentrate in California, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Washington, where they add to the tech workforce and payrolls. (moves the same way; years; economy scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.

What feeds this page?

AI Researchers (AI): Many U.S. AI researchers were born abroad and came as students; labs and big tech firms keep them on H-1B and other skilled visas, so demand for researchers shows in those employers' petitions. (moves the same way; years; sector scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Job Listings (Companies): Companies with many open engineering roles are the largest H-1B sponsors, so their postings and visa petitions tend to rise together. (moves the same way; months; sector scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Degrees & Colleges (Education): Where U.S. graduates in computing and engineering are few relative to demand, employers turn to H-1B hires; the domestic graduate count is one side of that balance. (either way, depending on the cause; years; sector scale) Source: IPEDS completions via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By).
Job Postings (Feed): Tech and AI employers fill many specialty roles through H-1B visas, so heavy hiring at those companies tends to come with more H-1B petitions from them. (moves the same way; months; sector scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
Students (Immigration): Many H-1B workers are former foreign students who switched after graduating, often after a year or more of Optional Practical Training, so student numbers feed the H-1B pipeline. (moves the same way; 1-3 years; sector scale) Source: USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub.
World Comparison (Immigration): Canada, the U.K. and Australia run points-based or faster skilled-visa routes, so when U.S. H-1B rules tighten, employers can place hires in those countries instead. (either way, depending on the cause; years; sector scale) Source: OECD International Migration Database (CC BY 4.0).