How H-1B Visa Changes Are Rewiring GCC Talent Strategies

Published on

January 7, 2026

H-1B visa changes in 2025 are influencing how organizations approach global talent. As rules continue to evolve, demand for skilled professionals remains strong. In the FY 2025 cap fiscal year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received around 470,000 eligible H-1B registrations. Approximately 120,600 candidates were selected to move forward in the process.

This gap is encouraging companies to look beyond short-term onsite hiring. Many are investing more intentionally in Global Capability Centers (GCCs). For organizations operating at scale, GCCs in India are increasingly seen as long-term hubs. They support critical skills, leadership development, and sustained business growth.

What Changed In H-1B Rules In 2025

The 2025 updates to the H-1B rules aim to clarify and balance the process for both employers and applicants. While the overall structure of the H-1B program has not changed, the updates affect how registrations are selected and how petitions are submitted. They also impact how job roles are assessed, highlighting the H-1B visa impact on GCCs.

New fee structure: Starting September 21, 2025, a one-time $100,000 fee applies to all new H-1B petitions. This fee does not apply to visa renewals or previously approved petitions.

Wage-based lottery system: The random lottery has been replaced with a wage-prioritized lottery. Candidates with higher-paying job offers have a better chance of being selected. Each registration is assigned a tier based on salary. Higher wage levels get multiple entries in the lottery.

Updated Form I-129: All new petitions must use the revised Form I-129. Petitions filed with older forms will not be accepted.

Speciality occupation guidance: The rules provide clearer guidance on how a candidate’s education and experience must match the job. This helps employers and candidates understand eligibility better.

Visa validity period: The initial H-1B visa can now be issued for up to 3 years. It can be extended for another 3 years. Special rules apply if the candidate has a controlling interest in the petitioning company.

Social media and compliance checks: Optional social media checks are now part of the process. These help verify credentials and ensure compliance.

How Has This Affected GCCs Worldwide

H-1B visa changes are reshaping the way organizations structure their global talent strategies, and the impact on Global Capability Centers (GCCs) is significant. With the introduction of stricter rules and a wage-based lottery system, companies can no longer rely on predictable U.S.-based onsite hiring.

This uncertainty has prompted forward-thinking organizations to rethink workforce distribution and invest strategically in GCCs as critical enablers of business continuity and innovation.

Key shifts in GCC strategy include:

Greater reliance on offshore hubs: Organizations are increasingly leveraging GCCs to retain and develop critical skills locally. By shifting complex technical, analytics, and product development roles to these hubs, companies ensure that essential capabilities are preserved even when U.S. talent pipelines are constrained.

Nearshore centers as strategic backups: Regional centers are gaining importance as operational risk hedges. They offer flexibility to manage fluctuating project demands, time-zone alignment, and client requirements without overburdening U.S. onsite teams.

India’s GCCs expansion: India is emerging as a premier destination for GCCs, driven by its deep talent pool, mature delivery ecosystem, and ability to scale operations rapidly. Organizations are not just maintaining existing centers, they are expanding and establishing new GCCs to anchor long-term growth, innovation, and leadership development.

Impact On Onsite Hiring and Offshoring

The 2025 H-1B visa changes are prompting organizations to rethink not just where work happens, but how it happens. Beyond shifting roles from U.S. offices to GCCs and offshore hubs, companies are redesigning workflows to be location-agnostic, leveraging:

Cloud collaboration

AI-driven project management

Cross-border teams

Onsite roles are increasingly reserved for high-impact client engagement, innovation leadership, and strategic decision-making, while technical execution, analytics, and product development are being anchored in GCCs.

This transition is fostering more resilient and agile workforce models. It is thus enabling organizations to maintain continuity, scale quickly, and cultivate a ‘global-first’ talent culture that thrives irrespective of geographic constraints.

Why GCCs In India Become Default Hubs

H-1B visa changes are adding uncertainty to U.S. onsite hiring. As a result, companies are reassessing which roles genuinely require onsite presence and which can be effectively delivered from other locations. GCCs and offshore teams are taking on a bigger share of critical work to keep projects moving smoothly.

Onsite roles prioritised for client-facing or strategic work: Companies are reserving U.S. onsite positions for tasks that require direct interaction with clients, executive stakeholders, or strategic decision-making. This ensures that the roles most dependent on proximity, real-time collaboration, and high-level influence remain effective and impactful.

Routine, repeatable, or scalable tasks moving offshore: Activities such as software development, data analytics, testing, and process management are increasingly handled by GCCs and offshore teams. This not only optimizes cost and efficiency but also leverages deep local talent pools to maintain high-quality delivery without overloading onsite staff.

Offshoring as a continuity and agility lever: By shifting operational responsibilities to global centers, organizations can mitigate risks associated with visa uncertainties, talent shortages, or sudden project demands. Offshoring ensures deadlines are met, workflows remain uninterrupted, and the business can scale quickly, creating a resilient global operating model that is less dependent on a single geography.

Nearshore Centers as Risk Hedges

In the wake of evolving H-1B visa policies, India’s GCCs are increasingly becoming the strategic choice for global operations, serving as reliable risk hedges.

Access to a large, highly skilled workforce: India offers deep talent pools with expertise across technology, analytics, product development, and emerging digital skills. This allows companies to tap into specialised capabilities without the constraints of U.S. visa availability.

Mature and proven delivery ecosystem: Indian GCCs operate within well-established frameworks for project management, quality assurance, and cross-border collaboration. This maturity ensures complex, high-impact projects are delivered consistently and reliably.

Rapid scalability for global business needs: Organizations can quickly expand or adapt GCC operations to respond to evolving market demands, new product launches, or strategic initiatives. This flexibility provides a critical operational hedge, enabling continuity even in uncertain regulatory or talent landscapes.

Building a ‘Global First’ Career Path Inside GCCs

GCCs are evolving beyond traditional operational hubs to become platforms for global-first careers. Here, employees can cultivate truly global careers without relocating to the U.S. Organizations are intentionally designing structured growth paths that combine leadership development, high-impact project exposure, and cross-border collaboration.

By embedding skill development, mentorship, and international exposure within the GCC itself, companies are creating local platforms for global influence. This enables professionals to contribute to strategic decisions, drive innovation, and build leadership capabilities while remaining in their home markets.

This approach not only strengthens employee retention and engagement but also positions GCCs as central pillars of a globally integrated talent strategy.

Leadership roles and high-impact projects are accessible within the GCCs

Professionals gain international exposure while remaining in their home locations

Employees can advance their careers and take on strategic responsibilities globally

The 2025 H-1B visa changes are prompting a fundamental rethinking of global workforce strategy. GCCs are increasingly being positioned as critical operational and strategic hubs, rather than mere support centers.

Organizations are expanding GCC responsibilities to include high-value functions. These include driving innovation in technology, optimising processes, and building specialised skill areas. Teams are being structured to ensure continuity in an uncertain regulatory landscape.

These shifts highlight a broader evolution: GCCs are now central to achieving global business outcomes. They enable companies to access, develop, and retain the right talent anywhere in the world. By integrating GCCs into the core of strategy, forward-looking enterprises are creating resilient, globally connected operations.

If your company is also looking to grow sustainably and attract the right talent, partnering with ANSR can enable your organization to turn talent strategy into a long-term advantage.

Our experienced teams help enterprises design, build, and scale GCCs with clarity and speed. Schedule an appointment to know more.