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The short answer is that the public record does not show India’s tech giants shrugged off changes to the U.S. skilled-visa program. The policy changes are well documented, and government data show a steep drop in H-1B registrations by the largest IT staffing and outsourcing firms as a group. But the sources behind this article include no named Indian company’s statement or strategy on these rules, so “shrug off” remains an untested description of any specific firm.
What changed, in order
Four U.S. government actions, plus one Indian government response, shape the current H-1B picture. The table lists them in the order they happened, with what each source says the action does.
| When | Action | What the source says it does | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | Proclamation restricting H-1B visa issuance and entry | Applies to people seeking visa issuance or entry based on H-1B petitions filed after its effective time, unless the petition was accompanied or supplemented by a $100,000 payment. Exceptions were to be determined by the Department of Homeland Security. | U.S. Department of State, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” updated September 21, 2025 |
| December 23, 2025 | USCIS announces weighted H-1B cap selection | Gives higher-skilled and higher-paid beneficiaries a greater probability of selection while still letting employers secure H-1B workers at all wage levels. | DHS/USCIS, “DHS Changes Process for Awarding H-1B Work Visas to Better Protect American Workers,” December 23, 2025 |
| February 27, 2026 | Weighted selection takes effect | Applies to the FY 2027 cap registration season. The annual statutory cap is 65,000, plus 20,000 for eligible U.S. advanced-degree holders. | DHS/USCIS announcement, December 23, 2025 |
| September 2026 (exact signing date not stated in the sources cited) | Continuation proclamation | Continues the entry restriction for 12 months from 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2026, subject to exceptions and the $100,000 payment condition. Directs agencies to restrict decisions on certain petitions for H-1B workers outside the United States. | The White House, September 2026 proclamation |
| September 2026 | Program-integrity action | Directs interagency coordination. Frames the policy as a response to alleged fraud, wage suppression and displacement of U.S. workers. | The White House, September 2026 action |
| September 20, 2025 | Indian government spokesperson statement | Responds to the U.S. restrictions with a statement on the value of skilled talent mobility. | Government of India spokesperson statement, published by the Embassy of India |
The $100,000 payment: who it reaches
As the State Department guidance describes the original restriction, it applied to petitions filed after the proclamation’s effective time. A petition could avoid the restriction if it was accompanied or supplemented by a $100,000 payment. The same guidance stated that no visas had been revoked under the proclamation.
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The sources do not establish that the payment condition applies to people who already hold H-1B status. The guidance ties the restriction to petitions filed after the effective time and reports no revocations, which points away from a blanket effect on existing holders. The sources do not, however, address every situation an existing holder might face, such as extensions, changes of status, or re-entry after foreign travel. Employers and workers with a specific case should confirm the current State Department and USCIS guidance and review it with an immigration attorney before acting.
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The 2026 continuation
The September 2026 proclamation keeps the restriction in place for 12 months, starting at 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2026. It keeps the $100,000 payment condition and its exceptions. The White House describes the restriction as concerning entry, and it directs agencies to restrict decisions on certain petitions for H-1B workers outside the United States. Court challenges or later implementation changes could alter these terms, so check the official notices for the current status.
A separate White House action from the same month directs interagency coordination and frames the policy around alleged fraud, wage suppression and displacement of U.S. workers. These are the administration’s allegations and rationale. The sources present them as the government’s position, not as independently established findings.
Weighted selection: a different lottery
The weighted cap-selection rule changes how registrations are chosen, not how many petitions the cap allows. Under the rule, higher-skilled and higher-paid beneficiaries have a greater probability of selection, while employers keep the opportunity to secure H-1B workers at all wage levels.
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What the government’s registration data show
The September 23, 2026 Federal Register notice (Volume 91, Issue 183) reports the figures below. They are government-published administrative data, and the notice’s account of changes in registrations and selections is the source for each.
| Measure | Reported figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combined H-1B registrations, largest IT staffing and outsourcing firms | 24,946 to 2,055, described by the notice as a 92% decrease | Federal Register, 2026 |
| Consular-processing requests | Nearly 97% decline between the FY 2025 and FY 2027 cap seasons | Federal Register, 2026 |
| Registrants with at least a U.S. master’s degree | 45.1% for FY 2026 to 66.1% for FY 2027 | Federal Register, 2026 |
| Selections with job offers at the two highest wage levels | About 46.3% | Federal Register, 2026 |
| Selections with job offers at the lowest wage level | 17.8% | Federal Register, 2026 |
Two limits matter when reading these figures. First, the registration decline covers a group of large firms collectively. It cannot be divided into a figure for any single company, and it should not be applied to the whole Indian technology sector. The sources summarized here do not describe these firms by nationality. Second, a drop in registrations is one step in the hiring pipeline. The figures do not show what happened to project staffing, headcount, or client pricing.
India’s official response
The Government of India spokesperson said in a statement dated September 20, 2025: “Skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in both our countries.” It is a policy argument for talent mobility, and it states the government’s position. It is not evidence of how any company responded to the U.S. rules.
What the sources do not show about company responses
No direct company quotation or named company strategy on these rules appears in the sources. Associated Press reporting from December 2025 names Amazon as the top H-1B approval recipient in the year it covers, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple and Google. That ranking shows who uses the program most. It does not show how any firm reacted to the changes, and it cannot establish that Indian firms were unaffected.
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How to test the claim for a specific company
- Start with the company’s own disclosures: the risk-factor section of its annual report on immigration and visa policy, its quarterly results releases, and its earnings-call transcripts. Look for specific references to H-1B rules rather than general statements about talent.
- Check which workers a statement covers, using the five checks below.
- Match the statement to the rule it describes: the 2025 restriction, the 2026 continuation, or the weighted selection rule. A statement made before the February 27, 2026 effective date of weighted selection describes expectations, not outcomes.
- If you are reporting on a specific firm, request comment in writing on the exact claim. A refusal to comment is also informative, but it is not evidence that a firm was unaffected.
Five checks that separate company effects from sector totals
- New cap-subject hires versus extensions or status changes. Registration figures concern new cap-subject hiring. A firm’s exposure to extensions or status changes is a separate question.
- Workers already in the United States versus workers who must enter from abroad. The restrictions described above concern entry, so the two groups may face different effects.
- Wage and skill level under weighted selection. Higher-paid roles gain selection probability, so the effect depends on a firm’s role mix.
- Direct employment versus the IT staffing and outsourcing model. The notice’s group is defined as staffing and outsourcing firms. A firm that employs staff directly may be exposed differently.
- Company-reported evidence versus aggregate government data. Use the aggregates for context. Use company disclosures for any claim about a specific firm.
What would settle the question
- Named companies explaining, in their own filings or on the record, how they changed hiring, staffing or project delivery in response to the rules.
- Updated State Department and USCIS guidance clarifying how the payment condition applies to existing holders and to situations the current sources leave open.
- Published registration and selection data for later cap seasons, which would show whether the government-reported patterns persisted.
- The outcome of any court challenges to the proclamations and the weighted selection rule.
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