The Trump administration has approved 120,141 H-1B visas for fiscal year 2026.

This approval comes despite ongoing mass layoffs in the U.S. tech sector.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published the data confirming the number of H-1B visas granted so far.

Trump Administration Approved 120,141 H-1B Visas For 2026

The group US Tech Workers posted on X: “120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026. Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced.”

The H-1B program has reignited political debate, particularly among Republicans, since Donald Trump returned to office.

There’s a divide in the Republican Party: some members rely on tech, while others support the America First ideology and oppose high numbers of foreign worker visas.

The party remains unsettled about the current approval rate for H-1B visas.

USCIS opened H-1B visa registrations from March 7 to March 24, during a period of significant layoffs.

Over 50,000 tech workers in the U.S. lost their jobs between January and April 2025, according to TechCrunch.

Despite the layoffs, companies continue to submit large numbers of H-1B applications, with many targeting Indian professionals.

The 120,141 H-1B approvals for FY2026 are slightly lower than the 135,137 in FY2025 and the 188,400 in FY2024.

Indian Engineers Software Developers, Data Scientists Among Largest Group of H-1B Recipients

Indian engineers, software developers, and data scientists consistently represent the largest group of H-1B recipients.

Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec criticized the approvals on his podcast, stating, “America first means the American people first… We are not tech company first. We are not military-industrial complex first. No, we are American people first.”

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy defended the practice, saying, “The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers… comes down to the c-word: culture.”

He added, “If we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH.”

Elon Musk also commented on the issue, suggesting, “Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically.”