Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world, appears to come as a savior for H-1B visa holders or aspirants when the outlook is gloomy and cold, and several tech companies, including Google and Amazon,
have cut down the number of their visa holders in recent times amid the changing environment.
According to recent federal filings, Nvidia has increased its H-1B positions during the first two quarters of fiscal 2026, up from around 1000 during the same period last year.
Data suggest that Google approved 2,200 H-1B visa holders, a decline of 56 per cent. Meanwhile, Amazon’s approval fell to 4,300 from 6,100, roughly a fall of 30 per cent.
Why Does It Matter For Indians?
India is the largest beneficiary of US H-1B visa scheme, which allows US companies to hire an immigrant or foreign worker.
According to USCIS-linked data, Indians account for roughly 71-73 per cent of all approved H-1B visa holders. It implies the importance of H-1B visa programme that offers Indian engineers an opportunity to not only to be employed in big tech companies of US but also to get the right to stay.
Amid the mass layoffs, the wave of panic and anxiety spread among workers, especially H-1B visa holders in the US.
Under the US immigration rules, H-1B visa holders only have 60 days to secure employment in another company that is willing to sponsor the visa after losing a job. If they fail to secure an employer, they will be forced to leave the country.
Nvidia Pays Generously
It matters more as Its CEO Jensen Huang, who is also an immigrant from Taiwan, believes the importance of immigrants, unlike the current narrative in the US blaming them for job crisis and economic downturn.
The federal filing also reveals that Nvidia has paid generously to attract the top talent across the globe. A software engineer could earn up to $391,000 or Rs 3.72 crore annually at Nvidia, apart from bonuses and stock grants. Meanwhile, the chip company pays up to $356,500 or about Rs 3.39 crore for its research assistants.
Product managers at Nvidia can earn as much as $379,500 (around Rs 3.61 crore) annually, while hardware engineering managers may receive up to $368,000 (nearly Rs 3.50 crore) in base pay.
Compensation rises further at the director level. Architecture directors can earn up to $488,750, or about Rs 4.64 crore a year, making them among the highest-paid employees at the company.
US Is Hardening On Immigration Stance
Since the coming of Donald Trump, US administration has taken a harder stance on immigration, making harder for getting the permanent residency.
The latest memo by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has intensified fears among Indians who are already grappling with tightening immigration rules.
The USCIS memo, released last week, reiterates that obtaining permanent residency from within the United States is a “discretionary benefit” and not an automatic entitlement.
The latest announcement comes months after a report by the US-based Cato Institute stated that of the 1.8 million employment-based backlog in 2023, around 1.1 million, or 68 per cent, were from India. The report also said the backlog could take up to 134 years to clear.
Last year, US President Donald Trump on September 19, 2025 issued a proclamation titled “Restriction On Entry Of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, targeting he H-1B visa program and introduced a new $100,000 payment requirement for certain new H-1B petitions, along with restrictions on entry for affected workers.
