H-1B Visa Probe
US Senators have questioned Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant, and eight other large firms for submitting thousands of requests for H-1B skilled labor visas after “mass layoffs” of American workers.
Additionally, ranking member Richard Durbin and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley have questioned Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, Google, JPMorgan Chase, Meta, Microsoft, and Walmart, requesting information on their hiring and recruitment procedures as well as any differences in pay and benefits between American workers and those with H-1B visas.
The senators claimed that their “inquiry” took place at a time when the tech sector’s unemployment rate in America is “far above” the national average. The Federal Reserve said that recent STEM graduates in the United States are now experiencing greater unemployment rates than the overall population.
H-1B Reform Push
Senators Grassley and Durbin have been outspoken opponents of the H-1B visa program and have maintained that many people are abusing these visas to substitute cheaper labor from other countries for US workers.
The senators actually announced that they are presenting bipartisan legislation to “reform and address loopholes” in the H-1B and L-1 visa processes a few days after sending their letter to the 10 corporations. The two said that the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act protects American workers and visa holders, combats fraud and abuse in the US immigration system, and increases openness in the hiring of foreign workers.
“We cannot overlook the large, continuous layoffs that you and your counterparts in Big IT C-suites have ordered over the last several years when assessing the high unemployment rate for American IT workers… On September 25, 2025, the Senators sent letters to ten significant US firms, saying, “At the same time you have been laying off your staff, you have been submitting H-1B visa requests for (thousands of) foreign workers.”
Concerns Over H-1B Practices
According to the statement, TCS recently revealed intentions to lay off more than 12,000 workers, including American workers.
“TCS authorized the hiring of 5,505 foreign H1-1B workers in fiscal year 2025 after submitting an application. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is presently looking into TCS for allegedly terminating senior American workers in favor of recently recruited foreign workers with H-1B visas,” the company stated.
Additionally, it said that Cognizant Technology Solutions let go of thousands of people, including those in the United States. “Cognizant got permission to recruit 2,493 foreign H-1B workers in fiscal year 2025 after submitting an application. A federal jury found in 2024 that Cognizant had favored South Asians with H1-B visas over American workers, which called for punitive penalties,” the statement said.
Tech Layoffs Amid H-1B Expansion
PTI did not get a response to its emails asking TCS and Cognizant for comments. According to Grassley and Durbin’s statement, Amazon blamed the use of generative AI techniques for the tens of thousands of layoffs it has seen in recent years. Amazon requested for and was granted permission to recruit 10,044 foreign H-1B workers in fiscal year 2025.
In recent years, Google has cut off tens of thousands of staff, including hundreds in its platform and device section and 35% of its small team managers, “despite enjoying historic revenues,” the company said.
According to the announcement, Google asked for and was granted permission to recruit 4,181 foreign H1-B workers in fiscal year 2025. It states that Meta declared 2022–2023 a “year of efficiency” and let go of a quarter of its employees.
Tech Giants’ Layoffs and Visas
“Meta laid off 3,600 workers in 2025, surpassing its declared target of cutting off an additional 5% of its personnel. Meta sought for and was approved to recruit 5,123 foreign H-1B workers in fiscal year 2025,” the statement said.
According to the announcement, Microsoft got authority to recruit 5,189 foreign H1-B workers in fiscal year 2025. In response to criticism for widespread layoffs, Microsoft described its actions as an “enigma of success” and stated it has cut off 16,000 people this year alone, despite record sales and earnings.