H-1B visa fee shock: US lawmakers seek explanation from Apple, Amazon, others on hiring foreign nationals amid layoffs
US lawmakers are demanding clarity from major companies like Apple and Amazon on their H-1B visa hiring practices amid domestic job cuts.
US lawmakers have requested major companies such as Apple, Amazon, and JPMorgan to clarify why they are hiring thousands of foreign workers on H-1B visas while reducing other employment opportunities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Last week, the Donald Trump administration announced that it plans to require companies to pay $100,000 annually for H-1B visas, which enable businesses to hire foreign specialists. Additionally, the U.S. has issued a proposal to revise the H-1B visa selection process, prioritising higher-skilled and better-paid workers.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democrat Senator Dick Durbin have asked companies to share detailed data on their H-1B workers, including employment numbers, wages, and any displacement of American workers in the process, the report said.
Livemint could not independently verify the report.
"With all of the homegrown American talent relegated to the sidelines, we find it hard to believe that Amazon cannot find qualified American tech workers to fill these positions," the senators wrote to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
Major tech firms such as Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, which are heavily investing in artificial intelligence, have all announced layoffs this year.
Letters have been sent to Deloitte, Alphabet's Google, Meta, Microsoft, Walmart, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Tata Consultancy Services, according to the report.
India was the top recipient of H-1B visas last year, representing 71% of approved beneficiaries, with China coming in second at 11.7%, based on government data.
In the first half of 2025, Amazon and its cloud division, AWS, obtained approval for over 12,000 H-1B visas, while Microsoft and Meta each received more than 5,000 approvals.
About H-1B visa
The H-1B programme provides 65,000 visas annually to employers hiring temporary foreign workers in specialised fields, plus an extra 20,000 visas for those with advanced degrees.
Employers are responsible for paying almost all visa fees. H-1B visas are issued for durations ranging from three to six years, according to a report by Reuters.