Who’s Dominating H-1B Hiring in America? Surprise — It’s Not Big Tech Anymore

By Vikrant Singh, July 03, 2025

Think Silicon Valley still rules the H-1B visa game? Think again.

In a stunning shift, major banks, telecom giants, and even retail powerhouses have quietly overtaken America’s tech titans as top recruiters of foreign talent on H-1B visas. Newly released federal data, reviewed by Bloomberg, shows that companies like Citigroup, AT&T, Capital One, Verizon, and Walmart have surged ahead in bringing in H-1B workers — but not always directly.

Instead, these companies are tapping third-party staffing agencies in massive numbers, reshaping how the H-1B program works and who benefits from it. Between 2020 and 2024, Citigroup alone added more than 3,000 H-1B workers through outsourcing agencies, eclipsing traditional tech leaders like Nvidia and Oracle.

The Rise of the Visa Middlemen

Staffing and outsourcing agencies — the so-called “visa middlemen” — have become the gatekeepers of America’s skilled foreign workforce, accounting for nearly half of all new H-1B visas each year. In many cases, they are accused of gaming the system, using multiple registrations in the lottery to maximize their odds.

Capital One, for example, took on H-1B contractors through 429 different staffing firms — 361 of which filled multiple entries for the same workers. While Capital One says it has no evidence of wrongdoing, USCIS has labeled this practice fraudulent, and experts warn it is warping the original purpose of the program.

Who Wins — and Who Loses?

The consequences are serious. Data shows H-1B workers hired through staffing firms earn about $48,000 less on average than those hired directly. Median salaries for software developers brought in through agencies hovered around $94,000, while their directly employed peers averaged $142,000 for similar roles.

Critics say this exposes the myth that H-1B is purely about “the best and the brightest” and reveals a race to the bottom on wages. Ron Hira, a Howard University professor who studies H-1B practices, summed it up: “They’re going to pay as little as they can legally.”

And for many of these workers, challenging low pay or poor working conditions isn’t an option. Because their visa is tied to a staffing agency, speaking out or changing jobs could mean losing their right to stay in the US altogether. Legal challenges are also tough, thanks to arbitration clauses buried in employment contracts.

A System Under Pressure

These revelations strike at the heart of the H-1B program, originally meant to fill critical talent shortages in American technology and science. Instead, the data suggests it is increasingly a pipeline for cheaper contract labor benefiting large banks, telecoms, and big-box employers.

While big tech still makes headlines, the reality is changing on the ground — and fast. Whether this trend sparks policy reform or leaves visa workers in a precarious position remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: The face of America’s H-1B workforce is no longer Silicon Valley — it’s Wall Street, Main Street, and beyond.

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