25 Companies That Hire H-1BWorkers
Foreign-Born Workers in the United States |H-1B Visas: Cheap Foreign Labor Versus the AmericanWorker
Since 1990, non-immigrants have been able to obtain a temporary work permit, or H-1B visa, that allows companies in the U.S. to hire them in certain specialty occupations, such as engineering or information technology. Every fiscal year, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) makes 85,000 H-1B visas available to those individuals who hold a bachelorâs degree or a masterâs degree and are sponsored by a U.S. employer. Because the number of applications typically exceeds the annual cap, a random lottery process is used to distribute the visas, which are valid for three years. They can be extended for up to six years, and visa holders can also apply for permanent residency (i.e. a âgreencardâ).
The intent behind the program was to create a means for companies to fill temporary skilled worker shortages, but rather than supplementing the U.S. workforce, the program has morphed into a means by which companies can secure cheap labor at the expense of Americanworkers.
Contrary to some employersâ claims that the program is needed to fill shortages or bring in âtop talentâ in specialty fields, a 2019 Atlantic Councilreportby scholars Ronil Hira and Bharath Gopalaswamy shows that âmost H-1B workers have no more than ordinary skills, skills that are abundantly available in the U.S. labormarket.â
The reportâs findings are further supported by research from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) that shows that âonly about one third of natives with college degrees in STEM fields actually hold STEM jobs.â In addition, the Wall Street Journal reported recently that many tech companies are passing overolderAmerican IT workers in favor of younger â and cheaper âapplicants.
One of the reasons that it is difficult to pin down an exact number of H-1B employees in the U.S. is because many employers, includingGoogle, Apple and Facebook, use contracting or staffing firms to circumvent thecaps.
âIf a company needs 3,000 placements, but was only awarded 1,500 visas directly from the USCIS, it might seek to fill the remaining 1,500 from subcontractors such as Tata Consultancy or Tech Mahindra, two contracting and outsourcing companies,â explained a recentDice Insights article.
Most of the information below, unless indicated otherwise, comes from the H-1B Employer Data Hub, which is maintained by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Another valuable source consists of statistics published by the Department of Laborâs Office of Foreign Labor Certification for FY 2019. The USCIS data encompasses the first three quarters of FY2019.
Most of the information below, unless indicated otherwise, comes from the H-1B Employer Data Hub, which is maintained by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Another valuable source consists of statistics published by the Department of Laborâs Office of Foreign Labor Certification for FY 2019. The USCIS data encompasses the first three quarters of FY2019.
The following is an alphabetized list of 25 well-known U.S. companies â or companies with an important U.S. presence â that utilize the H-1B guest worker program to bring in cheaper foreign labor, rather than hiring qualified Americans. Some of the companies listed below also have contracts with the United States government. In fact, the Department of Labor approved more than 2,000 H-1B workers for jobs in the federal government itself this fiscalyear.
#1
Amazon.com Services
Amazon.com Services. One of the most well-known American companies, Amazon provides a range of e-commerce and retail services across the globe. Based in Seattle, Washington, Amazon is rapidly expanding and has plans to open a second headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos also owns The Washington Post. Amazon.com Services received over 7,200 initial and continuing H-1B approvals this fiscalyear.
#2
Apple, Inc.
Apple, Inc. The Cupertino, California-based American multinational is one of the largest technology companies in the U.S. with specializations in consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. In FY19, Apple was the beneficiary of over 3,400 initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
#3
Bank of America
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the multinational investment bank was ranked in 2019 as the second largest bank in the U.S. and the sixth largest globally by Business Insider. A 2016 Charlotte Observer article detailed Bank of Americaâs use and abuse of H-1B visas. In FY19, Bank of America received more than 700 initial and continuingapprovals.
#4
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Based in San Jose, California, the multinational technology conglomerate is a leader in the production and marketing of networking hardware, telecommunications equipment, and other high-tech products. In April 2018, a DOL investigation found Cisco had discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of H-1B workers. Despite this finding, Cisco had $306.5 million in federal government contracts in 2019. In FY19, Cisco received almost 2,100 initial and continuingapprovals.
#5
Cognizant Tech. Solutions, US Corp
Cognizant Technology Solutions, US Corp. A multinational information technology corporation based in New Jersey outside of New York City, Cognizant was sued in 2018 by former employees alleging ethno-racial discrimination against Americans in favor of Indian workers. Cognizant received close to 13,400 initial and continuing approvals in FY19.
#6
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Founded and headquartered in the United Kingdom, the international company is best known for its professional services, including auditing, and financial risk advising. The fourth largest private company in the United States in 2019, Deloitte had $1.8 billion in federal government contracts in 2019. In FY19, the company received over 7,500 initial and continuingapprovals.
#7
Disney
A multinational entertainment and media conglomerate based in Burbank, California, the Walt Disney Company helped to catapult the abuse of H-1B visas into the spotlight in 2014-2015, when the corporation laid off 250 of its American workers and forced them to train their foreign H-1B replacements. While in smaller numbers, Disney continues to employ H-1B workers. In FY19, Disney received 49initial and continuing approvals, compared with 68 in 2014 and 64 in2015.
#8
Ernst & Young
A multinational accounting, auditing, and tax preparation firm, it is based in London but is the seventh largest privately-owned company in the United States. In July 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Ernst & Young a $49 million contract for âintelligent automation and artificial intelligence (IAAI) products and services.â In FY19, the company received around 2,900 initial and continuingapprovals.
#9
One of the faces of Californiaâs Silicon Valley, the Menlo Park-based social media company was ranked by Investopedia as the seventh largest tech company in the nation. With approximately 2.4 billion Facebook users worldwide, its influence and reach is immense, but that does not protect it from accusations made about widespread H-1B abuse by former employees. In FY19, Facebook received over 3,500initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
#10
The presence of this multinational technology giant based in Mountain View, California, is so large that its name is part of the common lexicon. Despite being able to select at will from a vast talent pool of tech graduates, Google still participates in the H-1B visa program. In FY19, the company received over 6,000 initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
#11
Infosys Limited
One of the leading users of H-1B visas is Infosys, an Indian company headquartered in Bangalore, India, but with numerous offices throughout the United States. It provides business consulting, information technology, and outsourcing services. In 2013, Infosys was required to pay $34 million to settle allegations of visa fraud, namely of using B-1 business visitor visas to fill jobs reserved for American or H-1B workers. The corporation received approximately 5,500 initial and continuing approvals in FY19.
#12
JP Morgan Chase
Headquartered in New York City, JP Morgan Chase is a multinational investment bank that ranks as the largest bank in the country, and the fifth largest worldwide. In FY19, JP Morgan Chase received about 1,700initial and continuingapprovals.
#13
KForce, Inc.
KForce is a staffing services firm in the fields of accounting, technology, and finance. It is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. In FY19, KForce received almost 900 initial and continuingapprovals.
#14
Lyft
Based in San Francisco, Lyft is the second largest ride-sharing company in the United States. In FY19, Lyft received 267initial and continuingapprovals.
#15
Microsoft
The omnipresent multinational technology company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with a growing reliance upon foreign worker visas. In 2014, Microsoft laid off 18,000 U.S. employees while pushing for more H-1Bs. In October 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense picked Microsoft (over Amazon) for a JEDI cloud computing contract worth $10 billion over a ten-year period. It received almost 5,300 initial and continuing approvals in FY19.
#16
Netflix
Best known for its subscription-based streaming service, Netflix is an American company based in Los Gatos, California. In FY19, Netflix received 185 initial and continuingapprovals.
#17
Nike
Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike has a long record of dominance in athletic footwear and apparel. It also has a long history of outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries while also laying off 1,400 U.S. workers in Beaverton in 2017 alone. In addition to moving American jobs overseas, Nike also displaces U.S. workers by using the H-1B program. In FY19, Nike received 218 initial and continuingapprovals.
#18
Qualcomm Technologies
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Qualcomm is a multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company. In 2016, the San Diego Reader reported that Qualcomm had fired American engineers and required them to train their foreign replacements. In FY19, Qualcomm received approximately 1,600 initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
#19
Sony
With its base in Tokyo, the Japanese multinational has a broad portfolio ranging from electronics through entertainment to financial services. Its subsidiary, Sony Interactive Entertainment, which produces the PlayStation gaming console, receives the lionâs share of the companyâs H-1B approvals. In FY19, Sony received 218initial and continuingapprovals.
#20
Starbucks
One of the most famous coffee shop chains, Seattle-based Starbucks received 122 initial and continuing H-1B approvalsin
#21
Tata Consultancy Services Limited
Based in Mumbai, India, Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is a multinational specializing in information technology services and consulting with a significant presence in the United States. In 2013, the company was ordered to pay $30 million for requiring its non-U.S.-citizen employees to hand their tax refund checks over to Tata. It received a little over 7,600 initial and continuing approvals this fiscalyear.
#22
Tesla
Tesla is an American automotive and energy company based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla received 638initial and continuing approvals in FY19.
#23
The San-Francisco-based social networking and microblogging service received 258initial and continuing approvals in FY19.
#24
Uber
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, it is the largest ride-sharing company in the United States. Uber recently fired more than 1,000 employees over a ten-week period while also doubling the number of H-1B visa workers in management, marketing, and tech positions. In FY19, Uber had over 1,160 initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
#25
Walmart
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart, Inc., is known worldwide for operating a chain of hypermarkets throughout the United States. In 2015, the AFL-CIO brought attention to H-1B visa abuse by Walmart, but that has not dissuaded the company from using the H-1B visas â primarily to hire foreign workers to fill accounting and financial jobs. In FY19, Walmart received over 1,500 initial and continuing H-1Bapprovals.
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Additional Companies
Other well-known companies you may be familiar with that hire hundreds or thousands of foreign H-1B workers include: Aecom, American Airlines, American Express, AT&T, Best Buy, Bloomberg, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boeing, Citibank, Comcast, Costco, CVS Pharmacy, Dell, FedEx, Ford Motor, General Electric, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Halliburton Energy, Home Depot, Hulu, IBM, Intel, Leidos, Mastercard, Samsung, Tech Mahindra, United Healthcare, Verizon, Walgreen Co. (aka Walgreenâs), Wells Fargo, Whole Foods, Wipro, and manymore.
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FAQs
What US companies hire foreign workers? âș
Other well-known companies you may be familiar with that hire hundreds or thousands of foreign H-1B workers include: Aecom, American Airlines, American Express, AT&T, Best Buy, Bloomberg, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boeing, Citibank, Comcast, Costco, CVS Pharmacy, Dell, FedEx, Ford Motor, General Electric, General Motors, ...
How do you get a US employer to sponsor you? âșFirst, your employer is required to get an approved Labor Certification from the United States Department of Labor (DOL). Second, your employer must file an immigrant petition on your behalf (Form I-140). Third, you are required to either adjust status (Form I-485) or apply for your immigrant visa (Form DS-260).
How many H-1B visas are issued each year? âșSince the category was created in 1990, Congress has limited the number of H-1Bs made available each year. The current annual statutory cap is 65,000 visas, with 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a master's degree or doctorate from a U.S. institution of higher learning (Figure 1).
Can I get a job in USA from Africa? âșYou can work in the U.S. with an employment-related green card (permanent residency), an exchange visitor work and study visa, or a seasonal and temporary worker visa. The type of visa and work permit you'll need will vary depending on your career goals. You have to know how to apply and how to avoid scams.
Who can sponsor me to work in USA? âșAs explained, getting a sponsorship employment visa requires you to have an offer from a US employer. The US employer must send you a contract to sign, which will then be part of the sponsorship documents. In some nonimmigrant visas the Department of Labor first requires a Labor Certification.
Does Amazon offer H1B visa? âș...
Total Number Granted: 5995.
| Department | Total |
|---|---|
| Engineering | 3650 |
| Product | 570 |
| Operations | 233 |
| Finance | 196 |