H-1B returnees face tough Indian IT market with lower pay, fewer jobs
Indian professionals returning from the US after H-1B layoffs are struggling to find equivalent employment in India's cooling tech market. While Global Capability Centres are hiring, many returnees face lower salaries and increased competition due to AI-driven role redundancies.
Why it matters
This reflects shifting global labor dynamics and the impact of US immigration and tech sector volatility on the Indian workforce.
H-1B visa holders returning to India due to layoffs or uncertainties pertaining to the Donald Trump administration’s immigration policies and tighter visa guidelines are facing a harsh reality - jobs back home are not readily available.US technology giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta have laid off several thousands of employees, and Indians have been hit hard, though it is not immediately evident how many of these are H-1B visa holders. These people are coming back to a technology job market that has seen hiring fall to a 28-month low.According to data from Xpheno quoted recently in an ET report, about 7,300 professionals have returned from the US so far in 2026. The number stood at 15,000 in 2025, and 9,700 in 2024. These numbers are expected to rise.Recruitment trends indicate that companies are hiring cautiously, and many returnees are getting jobs at less than their salary expectations.
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