Top H-1B Visa Sponsors in the US: Companies with Most Approvals (2026)

The H-1B visa remains the primary pathway for skilled professionals to work in the United States. ApplyWave tracks 4,174,539 H-1B approvals across 346,132 employers — here are the companies that sponsor the most and how to maximise your chances of getting sponsored.

US H-1B Sponsorship by the Numbers

• 4,174,539 total H-1B approvals tracked
• 346,132 sponsoring employers
• 65,000 new H-1B visas issued annually (regular cap)
• 20,000 additional for US advanced degree holders

Top 20 H-1B Sponsors by Total Approvals

#	Company	Total Approvals	Initial	Continuing
1	Amazon	47,477	14,008	33,469
2	Infosys	35,972	12,695	23,277
3	Tata Consultancy Services	32,897	8,936	23,961
4	Deloitte	23,721	5,009	18,712
5	Cognizant	23,664	3,488	20,176
6	Microsoft	23,482	4,439	19,043
7	Google	23,257	4,792	18,465
8	Intel	21,221	7,508	13,713
9	Apple	20,402	4,654	15,748
10	IBM	17,886	6,605	11,281
11	Oracle	17,448	4,145	13,303
12	Meta (Facebook)	16,986	5,411	11,575
13	Capgemini	15,316	5,218	10,098
14	PricewaterhouseCoopers	12,644	4,638	8,006
15	Accenture	12,594	4,376	8,218
16	Tech Mahindra	12,198	5,102	7,096
17	HCL America	12,153	4,101	8,052
18	Wipro	12,023	4,551	7,472
19	Ernst & Young	11,500	4,200	7,300
20	Uber	10,800	3,600	7,200

Sponsor Categories

Big Tech (FAANG+)

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta collectively account for over 130,000 H-1B approvals. These companies primarily sponsor software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and research scientists. Salaries typically start at $150K+. Amazon leads all US employers with 47,477 total approvals — more than any other single company.

IT Consulting & Outsourcing

Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, Wipro, HCL, Tech Mahindra, and Capgemini are among the largest sponsors by volume. These companies sponsor consultants placed at client sites across the US. They tend to have higher initial approval counts relative to their size. Combined, the top 7 IT consulting firms account for over 144,000 approvals.

Professional Services (Big 4)

Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG sponsor auditors, consultants, tax professionals, and advisory staff. Combined, the Big 4 account for over 50,000 H-1B approvals. These firms sponsor across multiple practice areas including consulting, tax, audit, risk advisory, and technology.

Semiconductors & Hardware

Intel (21,221 approvals) leads the hardware sector. Qualcomm, NVIDIA, AMD, and Texas Instruments also sponsor heavily for chip design, firmware engineering, and hardware testing roles. The semiconductor sector has expanded sponsorship significantly since the CHIPS Act increased domestic manufacturing investment.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Hospitals, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies sponsor physicians, researchers, clinical scientists, and biostatisticians. Many healthcare H-1B positions are cap-exempt (particularly at universities and nonprofit research institutions), meaning they are not subject to the annual lottery.

Finance & Banking

JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup are active H-1B sponsors. Roles include financial analysts, quantitative researchers, investment banking associates, and compliance officers. New York is the primary hub, with significant activity in Charlotte, Chicago, and San Francisco.

How to Find H-1B Sponsors

1. Search ApplyWave — US visa sponsorship hub with data on all 346,132 employers
2. Check any company — use Sponsor Check Tool to see if a specific company sponsors H-1B
3. Browse by category — find sponsors in Engineering, Data, Finance, and more

H-1B Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a specialty occupation
• Lottery: Annual cap of 85,000 (65K regular + 20K advanced degree). Registration in March
• Prevailing wage: Must be paid at or above the prevailing wage for the role and location
• Duration: 3 years, renewable once for total of 6 years
• Pathway to Green Card: Employer can sponsor PERM labor certification → I-140 → Adjustment of Status
• Filing fee: Employer pays $1,710 base fee plus additional fees totalling $2,000-$10,000+ depending on company size

Understanding the H-1B Lottery

The H-1B lottery is the most competitive element of US visa sponsorship. Each year, USCIS receives 400,000-700,000 registrations for just 85,000 slots — a selection rate of roughly 12-20%. The process works as follows:

1. Registration (March): Employers register beneficiaries through an online system. Each registration costs $215.
2. Selection (March-April): USCIS conducts a randomised lottery. Selected beneficiaries receive a notification, and employers have 90 days to file the full petition.
3. Petition filing: Employers submit Form I-129 with supporting documents including Labour Condition Application (LCA), evidence of specialty occupation, and the worker's qualifications.
4. Start date (October 1): Approved H-1B workers can begin employment at the start of the new fiscal year.

One employer may register multiple candidates, and one candidate can be registered by multiple employers — increasing selection chances. However, USCIS has implemented fraud detection measures to prevent duplicate registrations by the same beneficiary through the same employer.

H-1B Beyond Tech: Other Industries That Sponsor

While tech dominates the H-1B data, other industries are significant sponsors. In fact, some of the most reliable H-1B sponsorship pathways exist outside the tech sector, particularly in cap-exempt organisations where the lottery doesn't apply:

• Healthcare: Hospitals, research centres, and academic medical institutions sponsor physicians, researchers, and specialised therapists. Many healthcare positions are cap-exempt.
• Education: Universities sponsor professors, researchers, and postdoctoral fellows. University positions are cap-exempt, meaning no lottery is required.
• Architecture & Engineering: Civil engineering firms, architectural practices, and construction management companies sponsor architects, structural engineers, and project managers.
• Accounting & Law: National law firms and accounting firms sponsor foreign-trained lawyers (who pass the bar exam) and accountants (with CPA qualifications).
• Manufacturing & Energy: Oil and gas companies, renewable energy firms, and advanced manufacturing companies in Texas, North Dakota, and the Gulf Coast sponsor petroleum engineers, process engineers, and industrial managers.

Strategies for Getting H-1B Sponsorship

The H-1B lottery makes US sponsorship uniquely competitive. Here are practical approaches to improve your odds:

1. Apply to cap-exempt employers. Universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government research labs are exempt from the H-1B lottery. These positions have no annual cap and can be filed year-round.
2. Target companies with high approval rates. Check each employer's initial vs. continuing approval ratio. Companies with high "continuing" numbers retain H-1B workers long-term — indicating they invest in immigration pathways.
3. Consider the O-1 visa as an alternative. If you have a strong publication record, awards, or significant contributions to your field, the O-1 "extraordinary ability" visa has no lottery and no annual cap.
4. Leverage the advanced degree exemption. If you hold a master's or higher degree from a US institution, you get an additional 20,000 visa slots in the lottery — significantly improving your selection odds.
5. Apply broadly. The lottery means even strong candidates may not be selected. Apply to 15-20 sponsoring employers to maximise your chances of at least one employer registering you.

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