Oracle Filed Thousands of H-1B Petitions While Cutting American Jobs

The tech giant filed over 3,000 H-1B visa applications even as it laid off thousands of U.S. workers.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 1:52am

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Oracle, a major technology company, filed approximately 3,126 H-1B visa petitions across fiscal years 2025 and 2026, including 436 applications in 2026 alone. This came as the company announced the elimination of thousands of employee roles, raising concerns about the use of the H-1B program to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor.

Why it matters

The H-1B visa program is intended to allow companies to fill roles they cannot staff with qualified American candidates, but critics argue that corporations often exploit the program to access workers willing to accept lower compensation. Oracle's pattern of filing H-1B petitions while conducting mass layoffs of American employees has fueled concerns about the program being used to displace U.S. workers.

The details

According to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Oracle submitted approximately 3,126 H-1B petitions across fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with 436 of those applications filed during 2026 alone. This was the same year the company began clearing out its American workforce, with thousands of employees receiving emails stating their roles had been eliminated.

  • In 2025 and 2026, Oracle filed approximately 3,126 H-1B visa petitions.
  • In 2026, Oracle filed 436 H-1B visa petitions.
  • In 2026, Oracle announced the elimination of thousands of employee roles.

The players

Oracle

A major technology company that filed thousands of H-1B visa petitions while conducting mass layoffs of American employees.

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What’s next

The H-1B visa program and its use by technology companies to potentially displace American workers is likely to face increased scrutiny and debate in the coming months.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding the H-1B visa program and the concerns that some companies may be exploiting it to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor, even as they claim the program is necessary to fill roles they cannot staff with qualified domestic candidates.