H-1B Visa: Top Companies with Most Employees

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a strong supporter of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled workers from other countries. Tesla's use of this program has grown significantly, with 742 new H-1B visa approvals for 2024, more than double the 328 approved in 2023. Tesla also received 1,025 approvals for continuing H-1B employment in 2024.

Musk’s support has led to debates, especially within the Republican Party. While Musk and other tech leaders argue that the H-1B program is essential for attracting top talent and staying competitive globally, some Republicans believe it could take jobs away from American workers. Musk has promised to strongly defend the program.

In response, President-elect Donald Trump has also supported the H-1B program, agreeing with Musk that the U.S. should allow skilled workers to come in. This ongoing debate shows the tension between the tech industry's need for skilled foreign workers and the concerns about job opportunities for U.S. citizens. The debate could influence future immigration policies and how the U.S. workforce is structured.

The H-1B program is limited to 65,000 new visas each year, with an additional 20,000 visas available for people holding a master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution.

Here are the top 20 companies that had the most H-1B petitions approved for initial employment in 2024:

1. Amazon: 3,871 petitions (down from over 4,000 in 2023)
2. Cognizant: 2,837 petitions
3. Infosys: 2,504 petitions
4. TCS (Tata Consultancy Services): 1,452 petitions
5. IBM: 1,348 petitions
6. Microsoft: 1,264 petitions
7. HCL America: 1,248 petitions
8. Google: 1,058 petitions
9. Capgemini: 1,041 petitions
10. Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook): 920 petitions
11. Deloitte: 891 petitions
12. Apple: 864 petitions
13. Intel: 851 petitions
14. Accenture: 833 petitions
15. LTIMindtree: 798 petitions
16. Tesla: 742 petitions
17. Ernst & Young: 741 petitions
18. Goldman Sachs: 678 petitions
19. Wipro: 609 petitions
20. Walmart: 654 petitions

These numbers reflect the demand for skilled workers in the tech and other industries that rely on the H-1B program.