COMPANIES KEEP FILING H-1BS WHILE THEY CUT JOBS Hankinson says the visa was sold as limited access for the world's best and brightest. He says some of the biggest U.S. companies now treat foreign labor as the easiest way to raise profits, and that they petition for H-1B workers while firing Americans. That pairing showed up in this year's data. Amazon led the country with 6,029 new H-1B approvals in FY2026, the same year it announced about 16,000 corporate cuts. Microsoft eliminated around 4,800 roles in July. On 1,470 of 1,683 PERM cases decided from October 2025 through June, Microsoft checked yes: it had a layoff in that area and occupation within six months. Now they’re asking 60,000 more to go. He notes what we’ve said all along: this is not actually a temporary visa. USCIS approved 126,985 first-time H-1B petitions in FY2026 and 268,191 continuing ones. The continuations go on forever if they’re waiting for a green card.