A former data engineer at Meta reignited the debate over H-1B visas after revealing that the majority of his team at the tech giant in 2017 were foreign workers. Zach Wilson, now the founder of a San Francisco-based data analytics startup, shared on X that during his tenure at Meta, 15 of the 17 engineers on his team were H-1B visa holders. “When I worked at Meta in 2017, I was on a team of 17 people. 15 of the 17 were on H1B visas. I was one of two Americans on the team, specifically for core growth data engineering,” Wilson wrote on X. Wilson linked his experience to the impact of recent immigration policy changes, specifically US President Donald Trump’s newly announced executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa sponsors. He estimated that, under the new rules, his former team would have cost Meta approximately $1.5 million in visa-related fees. “That’s $1.5 million in visa fees under the new rules. If you’re an American looking to land a big tech role, now is your time because more than 80% of your competition literally just vanished overnight. Good luck," he added. See the viral post here: When I worked at Meta in 2017, I was on a team of 17 people. 15 of the 17 were on H1b visas. I was one of two Americans on the team Just for core growth data engineering, that’s $1.5m in visa fees under the new rules. If you’re an American looking to land a big tech role, now… — Zach Wilson (@EcZachly) September 21, 2025 His post garnered a flurry of reactions, particularly from Indian tech professionals, many of whom challenged his stance. Indian engineer Nitin Ahirwal wrote, "Meta’s data engineering team was built on talent, not passports. The fact that there were 15 H-1B engineers suggests US schools are producing tech consumers, not builders.” Ahirwal also downplayed the $1.5 million figure, pointing out the disproportionate value H-1B workers have created for big tech firms over the years. “$1.5M in ‘visa fees’ sounds scary, but in reality, that’s pocket change compared to the $120B+ value H-1B talent created for FAANG over the years,” he added. “So no — your ‘competition’ didn’t vanish. It just shifted. Those engineers will now be building the next Meta, Google, or Nvidia — in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Toronto, or Singapore.” "No, it did not. The EO is just a partial fix for new applicants just for this type of visa," another user commented. "I believe there’s a need to further develop skills and strengthen work ethics in the U.S. workforce. Investing in training programs to address skill gaps would be a valuable step. Additionally, while work-life balance is important, a shift in mindset and priorities might be necessary to meet growing demands. Even with these efforts, bridging the entire gap may still remain a challenge," a third user reacted.
