February 23, 2026
H-1B to H-1Bye
Silicon Valley can't import talent like before. So it's exporting jobs
Visas get pricey, Big Tech packs for India — commenters brawl over “stolen” jobs
TLDR: U.S. tech giants are hiring thousands in India after tougher, costlier U.S. work visas, with Alphabet planning a huge Bengaluru expansion. Comments are split between “we warned you” populism blame, anger at offshoring “cheats,” and cheers for India’s brain‑drain reversal — a global power shift fans can’t ignore.
Big Tech isn’t waiting at the U.S. border anymore — it’s packing its laptops and heading to India. With the H‑1B work visa (the permit used to hire overseas talent) getting pricier and stricter under President Trump — fees reportedly jumping to $100,000 — commenters say the math changed overnight. Alphabet is eyeing a Bengaluru mega-expansion, and there are about 4,200 openings from Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Netflix, and Microsoft in India, nearly half in AI, machine learning, cloud, and cybersecurity. One HR veteran claims 33,000 hires in India last year, and predicts even more in 2026.
Cue the fireworks. The loudest chorus: “We warned you,” with one user blasting that HN fell for populism while Washington shrugs. On the other side, a tough‑on‑offshoring crowd is furious, yelling “crack down on cheats” and calling this just corporate loopholing. Cynics roll their eyes — “They were exporting jobs before too,” — while optimists cheer a brain‑drain reversal: “Good for India… needs more entrepreneurs.” Jokes flew fast: “Silicon Valley → Silicon Bengaluru,” “H‑1B to H‑1Bye,” and memes about every visa denied spawning a new AI team sipping chai. The vibe: chaotic, global, and seriously spicy — with commenters split between “you did this to yourselves” and “this is how the world works”
Key Points
- •U.S. tech firms including Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google have sharply increased hiring in India.
- •As of Feb 5, about 4,200 open roles were listed in India; only 15% were entry-level, with nearly half in AI, ML, cloud, and cybersecurity.
- •In 2025, these companies added around 33,000 workers in India, an ~18% increase year over year, with more growth expected in 2026.
- •Recent H‑1B visa changes under President Donald Trump—higher fees, more rejections, tighter scrutiny—are driving offshoring of roles.
- •Alphabet plans to lease up to 2.4 million sq ft of office space in Bengaluru, potentially housing up to 20,000 staff, many in ML and AI.