Prominent American corporations, including Apple, Amazon, and JPMorgan Chase, are facing heightened scrutiny from lawmakers over their extensive use of foreign workers on H-1B visas while simultaneously implementing large-scale layoffs of U.S. employees. According to a Wall Street Journal report released Wednesday, members of Congress have written to several major firms demanding detailed explanations of their hiring practices and the impact on American workers.
The renewed focus on the H-1B program comes in the wake of recent policy proposals by the Trump administration. Last week, the administration signaled its intent to impose a $100,000 annual fee for companies seeking to secure H-1B visas, which are designed to allow U.S. employers to hire foreign nationals in specialty occupations such as technology, engineering, and finance. Additionally, officials have proposed reforms to the H-1B selection process that would prioritize applicants with higher salaries and advanced skills, aiming to reduce potential misuse of the program.
Leading the congressional inquiry are Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who jointly sent letters to a group of major employers. They requested comprehensive information on the number of H-1B visa holders employed, the compensation offered to them, and whether American workers had been laid off as a result of these hiring decisions. In one of the letters addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, the senators wrote: “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 lawmakers’ concerns reflect broader anxieties over job security in the U.S. technology sector, where mass layoffs have become a recurring trend over the past two years. Despite ongoing investments in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, companies such as Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon have collectively cut tens of thousands of jobs in 2024 and 2025. These job reductions have fueled criticism that U.S. workers are being sidelined while corporations expand reliance on overseas talent.
The list of companies that received the senators’ letters extends beyond Amazon and Apple. It also includes Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Meta, Walmart, Deloitte, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Tata Consultancy Services. Together, these firms represent some of the largest employers of H-1B visa holders, with India continuing to dominate the program. Government figures show that Indian nationals accounted for 71% of all approved H-1B beneficiaries last year, while Chinese nationals made up nearly 12%.
Visa approval numbers highlight the scale of the issue. In the first half of 2025 alone, Amazon and its cloud division, AWS, secured approvals for over 12,000 H-1B visas. Microsoft and Meta each received more than 5,000 approvals during the same period, underscoring the tech sector’s heavy dependence on foreign expertise. By contrast, domestic workers, particularly those in technical roles, have voiced growing frustration over limited job opportunities.
The H-1B debate also raises concerns about wage suppression. Critics argue that some companies exploit the visa program to hire lower-cost workers from abroad, undermining the salaries of qualified American professionals. Lawmakers have pressed firms to disclose not only the number of foreign workers they employ but also the wage structures used, with the aim of ensuring compliance with fair labor standards.
The controversy places Big Tech and other multinational firms at the center of an intensifying political battle over immigration, labor rights, and the future of the U.S. workforce. While companies argue that the H-1B program helps them access specialized skills that are often in short supply domestically, policymakers insist that businesses should first prioritize American talent, particularly in light of recent layoffs.
At the time of reporting, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Walmart, and Cognizant had not responded to requests for comment from Reuters. Similarly, Senators Grassley and Durbin declined to provide further statements regarding their inquiry.
The outcome of this debate could reshape both corporate hiring practices and U.S. immigration policy. Should the proposed $100,000 annual fee and other regulatory reforms be implemented, the cost of relying on foreign workers would rise significantly, potentially forcing companies to reconsider their long-term workforce strategies.
For now, the scrutiny reflects a growing bipartisan consensus that the balance between hiring foreign talent and protecting American workers must be reassessed in an era of economic uncertainty and technological transformation.
