Oracle and Amazon Filed Thousands of H-1B Visa Petitions Amid U.S. Job Cuts in Recent Fiscal Years

Oracle Corp. and Amazon submitted thousands of H-1B visa petitions over the past two fiscal years while cutting thousands of positions held by U.S.-born employees. The H-1B visa allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, such as technology and engineering. These petitions are part of broader efforts by tech firms to address skill shortages.

The report details the scale of the filings and job reductions. Major players in the technology sector rely on the H-1B visa to bring in talent for roles in software development, data analysis, and other technical fields. The layoffs occurred amid economic pressures and company restructuring in the tech industry.

These actions took place against a backdrop of slowing growth in the tech industry following the COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

Parties U.S.-born workers in technology face competition from both domestic and international talent pools. The program is used when U.S. workers are unavailable, but it has drawn attention for its impact on local employment. Employees affected by layoffs may seek new opportunities in a competitive job market, with severance and unemployment benefits providing short-term support.

Stakeholders include tech workers, immigration advocates, and policymakers. Ongoing debates address potential reforms to the program, though no changes were specified in the report.

Steps and Broader Implications Following the reported filings and cuts, companies continue operations under existing visa approvals.

Future H-1B lotteries will determine additional hires for fiscal year 2025. Monitoring by regulatory bodies ensures compliance with labor laws, while affected workers may pursue legal recourse if eligible. The report underscores tensions in balancing immigration for skilled labor with domestic job preservation.

Tech industry leaders have stated needs for global talent to maintain innovation, though specifics were not detailed in the source.