https://dallasexpress.com/business-markets/dallas-express-analysis-who-are-the-top-h-1b-employers-in-north-texas/
Well how about that...?
From global consultancies to public universities, federal visa records show how H-1B hiring has quietly reshaped the workforce of North Texas’ largest cities over the past five years.
From January 1, 2020, through September 30, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services records show thousands of H-1B approvals across Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, and Collin counties, underscoring how private companies and public institutions alike are reshaping local labor markets through foreign-worker hiring.
Supporters argue the visa remains essential for competitiveness.
Former Republican Presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy, who has drawn national attention for defending the program, has argued that it is necessary because “American culture has venerated mediocrity,” and that foreign workers better fit the demands of American businesses, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
However, the AFL-CIO’s 2025 H-1B fact sheet suggested that employers embrace H-1B labor as a cheaper alternative compared to Americans.
“In fiscal year 2019, 60 percent of H-1B positions were paid at the lowest two levels, meaning they were paid below the median wage for the occupation and location,” read the document.
72% of H-1B visas are awarded to workers from India, with 12% going to those from China, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data.
Universities have emerged as some of the most aggressive users.
The University of Texas at Dallas spent more than $1.1 million on H-1B sponsorship costs since 2020 and secured roughly 300 approvals over that period, according to records obtained by The Dallas Express.
Because public universities are exempt from the annual H-1B cap, they can file petitions year-round, making taxpayer-funded institutions less restricted than their private-sector counterparts, who must compete for 85,000 annual visas.
The private sector visa footprint is large in Texas.
In Dallas alone, KPMG recorded 2,572 approvals, UT Southwestern Medical Center 1,326, Dallas Independent School District 1,272, and Texas Instruments 988, according to the USCIS Data Hub.
Texas Instruments has become a flashpoint. The Dallas-based semiconductor firm received up to $1.61 billion in federal CHIPS Act incentives and then laid off American workers while continuing to hire H-1B employees, according to reporting by The Dallas Express.
Prominent activists and organizations have raised concerns about the H-1B visa program in recent federal public comment periods on reforming the visa program.
Fran Rhodes, president of the True Texas Project, wrote that the program is “riddled with fraud and abuse, and puts American workers at a disadvantage, while creating a financial advantage for the companies hiring foreign workers at a lower pay scale,” reported by DX.
However, the Association of American Universities reportedly urged DHS to avoid reforms that would disrupt the pipeline from student visas to H-1B employment, warning that abrupt changes could harm research capacity and faculty recruitment.
The Dallas Express has prepared the tables below to give Texans a sense of how the program is directly affecting their communities.
Dallas County
Dallas
Rank Employer Total Approvals
1 KPMG 2,572
2 UT Southwestern Medical Center 1,326
3 Dallas Independent School District 1,272
4 Texas Instruments 988
5 AT&T 952