Overview
- Department of Labor certifications for Q1 FY2026, which covers October to December 2025, show sharp year-over-year declines in H-1B filings by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple.
- Amazon’s certified applications fell from 4,647 in Q1 2025 to 3,057 in Q1 2026, while Meta and Google roughly halved their totals over the same period.
- Nvidia bucked the pattern with filings up from 369 to 434, and the company has signaled it will keep hiring immigrant talent.
- Late-2025 rule changes under President Trump added a $100,000 fee on many new petitions for workers abroad and tilted the lottery toward higher-paid roles, which raised costs and scrutiny for sponsors.
- Lawyers say companies are getting more selective and favor workers already in the U.S., and the figures reflect certifications rather than final visa approvals, with Q2’s lottery season typically driving higher volumes that could shift the annual picture.