H-1B Visa Hopefuls Are Being Shut Out Of Jobs By Wary Recruiters

No international candidates.

It’s a line many foreign graduates keep running into during their job search.

For Ishaan Chauhan, who came from India almost four years ago, it feels like a slap in the face. He thought his computer and data-science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison would open doors. But as he looks for jobs ahead of his graduation in May, he said most companies won’t even give him a chance to interview once they find out he’ll need a work visa.

Chauhan is among thousands of foreign students trying to navigate the US job market that’s gotten even trickier since President Donald Trump overhauled the H-1B visa program, including adding a $100,000 application fee.

For the world’s high academic achievers, the path used to be clear: Graduate from a US university and land a position with an employer who could sponsor a visa. Now, many are left in limbo, struggling to secure roles once employers realize they aren’t American citizens. Last month, Walmart Inc., the largest US private employer, announced it was pausing job offers for candidates requiring H-1B visas.

“It doesn't matter if you went to the best university or you have the best GPA or you did the best internships, you can still fail,” Chauhan said. “The question that always pops ups is: Could you now or in the future need sponsorship? And that sort of just ends the conversation itself.”

Nearly 1.1 million international students are currently enrolled in American universities, according to the nonprofit Institute of International Education. For many, attending college in the US is seen as an investment that may pave the way for a career in industries like finance, technology, research or consulting.

But since Trump took office, with a tougher approach to immigration, employers have become less eager to sponsor international students’ work visas. The share of full-time job postings offering visa sponsorship has dropped dramatically since 2023, from 10.9% to 1.9% in 2025, according to data from Handshake, a career site for students. The tech sector saw the steepest decline, falling to a third of last year’s level. 

Of course, the current white-collar job market is difficult even for those born in the US. Hiring in white-collar industries including technology has slowed significantly, and advances in artificial intelligence have eroded entry-level jobs. Unemployment rates for recent college graduates, between the ages of 22 and 27, reached 5.8% in April, the highest level since 2021.

Companies are being very cautious and therefore not as active in hiring at this stage, said Kevin Collins, an associate director at Carnegie Mellon University's Career and Professional Development Center. As a result, international students feel the need to apply to far more jobs than before. And while every student is feeling the pressure, it’s especially intense for those who need visa sponsorship, he said.

Kelly McSergi, director of employer relations at Yale University, said she’s seen similar hesitancy from employers. At a recent biotech career fair, a major company told her it wouldn’t sponsor students because of the long gap, nearly nine months, between making a job offer in the fall and a new graduate’s actual start date — a lag time that adds extra uncertainty.

The complications have intensified since the Trump administration introduced a sweeping overhaul of the H-1B visa program in September, including a new $100,000 application fee for employers seeking to sponsor skilled foreign workers, starting the next lottery cycle. Trump said the fee would protect American jobs and salaries, while encouraging more domestic hiring. 

“President Trump promised to put America First, and this common sense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and allowing foreign workers to undercut American wages,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in an emailed response to questions. “It also gives certainty to American businesses who actually want to bring high-skilled workers into our great country but have been trampled on by abuses of the system.”

The US Chamber of Commerce sued, calling the move illegal and urging a federal court to block it. Business groups warn the rule could devastate recruitment in industries that depend on foreign talent.

The White House has clarified that recent foreign graduates and certain workers already living in the US on student visas would be exempt from the fee. Still, the shifting guidance has left many companies uncertain about the cost and complexity of sponsorship. Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc. — among the biggest users of the program — are seen as particularly exposed to the new rules. 

For Nikhil Kumar, 25, the dream of coming to the US hasn’t quite lived up to what he imagined.

He started his career at Deloitte in India, where he gained technical skills, professional experience and earned his accounting certification. 

This year, Kumar enrolled in a master’s program at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts on a scholarship. Now approaching graduation in December, Kumar hopes to advance his career, ideally in the US, though he’s prepared to return home if necessary.

As he applies for jobs, however, he’s discovered that checking the box indicating he needs visa sponsorship often leads to an automatic rejection. “Sometimes it has happened to me that the moment I have applied for the job — the very next second I've got the rejection because I said yes to that option,” he said.

Kumar said he doesn’t mind that American citizens are prioritized for jobs, but finds that the uncertainty and sudden policy shifts are hard to take.

Adding to the frustration for some is that family members who immigrated to the US years earlier had a much easier time finding a job. 

When Prit Chakalasiya applied for a master’s degree in the US, he thought his path would be like his brother’s — work in Big Tech and settle down. Instead, he’s been job hunting for more than four months with little luck. 

Chakalasiya arrived from India in 2023 for a master’s in big data analytics at San Diego State University. He interned at GoFundMe last summer after submitting 2,000 job applications and landing just three interviews.

Since he graduated in May, he’s applied to more than 500 jobs. He said he doesn’t think his brother, who came to the US more than four years ago, applied to more than 100 positions before being hired, helped by a stronger job market.

“I don't know the reason why people are still coming to the United States,” he said. “I already felt that supply is too much in comparison to demand.”