H-1B visa applications for 2026 drop 25%, hit 4-year low under Trump

Business Standard

21-05-2025

The number of H-1B visa applications for the financial year 2026 has fallen to its lowest in four years, according to data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Only 358,737 applications were received this year — a sharp drop from over 480,000 in FY2025 and the lowest since FY2022, which recorded 308,613 applications.
Out of these, 120,141 registrations were selected to move forward in the process. The H-1B visa programme, used heavily by Indian IT professionals and US tech firms, grants 85,000 visas annually, including a 20,000 carve-out for those with US master's degrees.
According to USCIS, this year's numbers reflect both a fall in total submissions and a marked reduction in multiple registrations per applicant.
Eligible registrations fell from 470,342 in FY2025 to 343,981 this year
Unique beneficiaries dropped from 442,000 to 339,000
Average registrations per applicant dropped to 1.01 from 1.06
Only 7,828 applications were filed on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations — down from 47,314 last year
The number of participating employers, however, remained relatively stable at 57,600.
The drop coincides with recent changes to the H-1B registration system. For FY2026, USCIS implemented a beneficiary-centric approach, meaning each candidate could only be counted once in the selection lottery, regardless of how many employers filed for them.
'The decline in H-1B visa registrations this year doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of appetite — it's more about a correction in the system,' said Varun Singh, managing director of XIPHIAS Immigration. 'Last year, the unusually high number of registrations raised concerns about misuse — with multiple applications being filed for the same candidate to game the lottery.'
He added that the new process offers 'a more accurate picture of genuine demand.'
Visa reforms and tech layoffs
The downturn in numbers comes amid a stricter immigration environment in the US. A mix of policies under the Trump administration — including the reintroduction of the 'Catch-and-Revoke' rule, which cancels visas of individuals found violating US law even once — and an increase in visa-related fees has made the process more complex and expensive.
In January, the H-1B registration fee was raised from $10 to $215.
'This fee hike is not a small jump, especially for startups and smaller firms,' said Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com. 'Many are now more selective, only filing for niche or project-critical roles.'
The broader employment situation in tech has also affected numbers. Between 2024 and 2025, over 260,000 tech jobs were cut globally. As of May 2025, more than 52,000 workers had already been affected across 123 companies.
According to a Bloomberg report, in April alone, 19 companies laid off 23,468 employees — a steep rise from March, when 8,834 professionals across 21 firms lost their jobs. The most cuts came from Intel, which announced plans to reduce about 20 per cent of its workforce.
Meta also let go of nearly 100 employees, while Google laid off hundreds from its platforms and devices unit around mid-April.
Indian tech companies were not spared. Gupshup, which works in conversational AI, laid off around 200 employees, and Cars24 also announced job cuts.
The total number of H-1B registrations had soared in FY2024 to nearly 781,000 before USCIS began tightening controls. The fall in applications since then has been steady:
FY2024: 780,884 registrations
FY2025: 479,953
FY2026: 358,737
But the demand still far exceeds supply. For FY2026, more than 343,000 eligible registrations were filed for just 85,000 available visas.
'The US is still a top destination for Indian talent,' Singh said. 'What's changing is the intent to bring more transparency and fairness into the H-1B process — which in the long term, actually helps both employers and employees.'
Key figures from FY2026 H-1B cap season
Total registrations: 358,737
Eligible registrations: 343,981
Selected registrations: 120,141
Unique beneficiaries: 339,000
Unique employers: 57,600
Registrations per beneficiary: 1.01
Multiple registrations: 7,828
The registration period for FY2026 was open from March 7 to 24. Selected applicants can now submit full petitions for visa approval.