- By Prateek Levi
- Tue, 08 Apr 2025 12:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Trump Administration's stringent immigration rules have struck fear in the hearts of foreign tech workers, and big tech giants like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and others are advising employees on visas to refrain from travelling outside the US, due to concerns they might encounter difficulties re-entering the country. Law firms have also cautioned that there could be an increase in rejection rates for people on high-skilled visas that include H1-B and Green Card, according to a report from the Washington Post.
The report cites Malcolm Goeschl, principal attorney at the San Francisco-based firm Goeschl Law, who stated, “What we’re seeing right now is just a lot of worry and panic. It seems like [the administration is] just getting more and more momentum, and we don’t know what’s around the corner.”
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The publication spoke with two tech workers who shared that they had cancelled their travel plans to India out of concern they might be denied re-entry to the US. “There’s an assumption that everybody who is not a U.S. citizen might be here illegally,” one of them said. “When we’re walking around, we always carry our documents,” another worker told the publication.
When Elon Musk Voiced Concerns About The Shortage Of Skilled American Workers
There was a stark split between Trump supporters on the matter concerning H1-B visas, with one side consisting of tech leaders who are dependent on hiring skilled immigrants, and the other side weighing in to cut down immigration to the U.S. This split between the two camps became evident in December when both sides took to X (Twitter) to argue if Trump should limit the skilled immigration or support it.
In December last year, Elon Musk responded to a post about the shortage of engineering talent by sharing on X: “we need more like double that number yesterday! The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low. Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win.”
No, we need more like double that number yesterday!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 25, 2024
The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low.
Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever…
Highest Number Of H1-B Visa Approvals Were Done By Amazon
Amazon bagged the highest number of H1-B visa approvals in 2025 with 9,265 applications approved, according to a data by US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). Cognizant was next in line and Google took the third spot with 6,321 and 5,364 H1-B visa approvals respectively. Tesla, led by Elon Musk, was prominently highlighted alongside major tech companies including Meta, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and several others.
Earlier this month, USCIS announced that the H-1B visa cap of 85,000 for the 2026 fiscal year had been met. In a press release, the agency said, “We have randomly selected enough beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations projected as needed to reach the H-1B cap.”