Sakshi Malik accuses WFI of deliberately trying to block Vinesh Phogat's comeback, calls for PM Modi's interventionSakshi Malik extends support to Vinesh Phogat, urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter. Updated on: May 12
The sight of Roberto de Zerbi pulling a black hood over his face as he stalked the touchline was a symbol of another night of self-destruction by Tottenham Hotspur. New head coach De Zerbi was a picture of anguish after Richarlison squandered a simple chance to put Spurs in a comfort zone by
HT Exclusive – ‘A result like this comes from years of hard work, not one race’: History-maker Sabastian Sawe to criticsSabastian Sawe spoke to HT about breaking the record at London Marathon and setting new benchmarks. Updated on: May 12, 2026 11:47 AM IST By Vishesh Roy Share via Copy link
Protein Rich Mixed Sprouts Curry With Fresh Ingredients And Light Texture For Nutritious Vegetarian DinnersHigh protein mixed sprouts curry combines sprouted legumes, vegetables, and spices to create a nutrient-rich vegetarian dinner suitable for balanced eating. Published on: May 12
Not true: Amish Tripathi on Ranveer Singh acquiring The Immortals of MeluhaRanveer Singh reportedly acquires rights to The Immortals of Meluha for a trilogy under Maa Kasam Film Published on: May 12, 2026 2:08 PM IST By Natasha Coutinho Share via Copy link On Monday multiple reports suggested
Has Trump effectively killed the H1B visa programme?
US president Donald Trump announced major changes to the H1B visa programme on Friday. An HT analysis shows that it amounts to effectively killing the programme. The new visa fees of $100,000 announced by Trump -- something also applicable to an existing H1 B visa holder re-entering the US -- is more than the median annual salary of a fresh H1B visa holder and more than 80% of the average annual salary of all H1B visa holders. As the biggest beneficiary of the programme, India stands to lose the most. Perhaps more than the 50% tariffs Trump has put on Indian exports. This is yet another debilitating blow to Indo-US relations: over 28 years, Indians have received 60% of all H1B visas issued.
What changes has Trump made to the H1B visa programme?
The Financial Times describes it in the simplest manner.
“The six-figure ($100,000) application fee — which (US Secretary of Commerce Howard) Lutnick said employers would have to pay annually — marks a departure for the government, which currently charges $215 to register for an H-1B visa lottery and an additional $780 for employers that sponsor visa applicants. A White House executive order states that the payment is an application fee and does not mention an annual payment”.
In addition to the H1Bs, the Trump administration has also announced a gold-card visa scheme where individuals and corporations can pay $1 million and $ 2million to get a US visa. In rupee terms this is almost ₹9crore and 18 crore for a visa.
What could the new programme mean for H1B visas?
Trump has just announced it. He often changes his mind. But there is good reason to believe that the new H1B visa regime is tantamount to killing the programme. This is because the visa fees might have become equal to almost a full-year wage of the average H1B employee. For somebody seeking their first employment under the H1B visa, the visa fee is now more than the annual wage. According to a 2025 report by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USICS) the median wage for initial employment under the H1B visa programme was $97000.This number was slightly higher for continuing H1B visas ($132000) giving an average amount of $1,20,000. If the visa fees become higher than the annual salary of the employee for whom the visa is being sought, it is extremely unlikely that the applications will even be made.See
India got more H1B visas than other nine in top ten countries combined
Of the 399,395 H1B visas approved in 2024 (this is the number of petitions approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS; and includes the people living in the US who change their status), Indians received an overwhelming 71%. China was a distant second with just 11.7%. India has dominated the number of H1B visas issued as well. The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State gives data on visa issuances by nationality from 1997 to 2024. This shows that of the total 4.1 million H1B visas issued in 28 years, 2.5 million or 60% have been issued to Indians. China is a distant second with a 9% share, and third placed United Kingdom has just a 2.6% share. India's share is almost thrice of the other nine countries in the top ten for the 1997-2024 period. This share would even be higher if India's share was not relatively lower earlier (although it was the top ranked country every year). It is only in 2007 that India's share breached the 50% mark and it would take another six years before that share breached the 60% mark. India's share peaked in 2022, when it reached 81%, after which it decreased to 69% by 2024.
India is the only country for which H1B has had this high importance for temporary travel to the US
Of all the non-immigrant visas issued by the US – issued to people who do not intend to live permanently there and could be travelling even for treatment or tourism – India is the only country which uses a high share of H1B visas. The top five countries by the number of non-immigrant visas issued in the 1997-2024 period are Mexico, China, India, Brazil, and Colombia. Less than 2% of visas issued to the other four countries were H1B visas. For India, this number is 13.9%. In fact, no other countries' share (including those not ranked high) goes beyond 6%. Clearly, the new regime will hurt India the most.
The new programme will squeeze outsourcing firms far more than high-tech employers
This can be seen from data on India's outsourcing and business-process giants. In FY2024 alone, Infosys (8,137 visas) and TCS (5,272) had more approved H-1B beneficiaries than the Philippines—the third-largest country of origin after India and China. Yet for many of their employees, the proposed $100,000 fee would match, or even exceed, their entire annual pay. HT's analysis of certified labour condition applications (LCAs) filed in the third quarter of 2024-25 shows how stark the gap is. Employers must file LCAs with the US Department of Labor whenever they hire, renew, amend or transfer H-1B workers, disclosing details such as job title, work location and wage range. Based on this data, HT calculated the typical pay offered by major Indian firms by calculating the median of annual salary ranges reported in each application, and found that the median salary offered by India's biggest IT outsourcers ranges from just over $89,000 at Wipro to just under $113,000 at LTIMindtree. By contrast, AI start-ups such as OpenAI and Anthropic are offering average pay packets north of $300,000. To be sure, these numbers also make it evident that a $100,000 fee for an H1B visa is not exactly a drop in the bucket for even high tech employers.
Source: HindustanTimes
Related Posts: H1B visa fee higher than annual salary of most H1B visa holders H1B visa fee higher than annual salary of most H1B visa holders Has Trump effectively killed the H1B visa programme Has Trump effectively killed the H1B visa programme Existing H1B visa holders to pay $100 Major Study Visa Rule Changes In UK Donald Trump completes a year as US President US President Donald Trump says Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict is Donald Trump urges Turkish President Erdogan to cut Russian oil FIFA gives President Donald Trump Peace Prize in departure from its traditional focus on sport
RSS-affiliate says PM Modi's austerity push will help save India’s foreign reservesThe Swadeshi Jagran Manch believes PM Modi's call for austerity will lessen India's foreign dependence. Published on: May 12, 2026 2:08 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Tuesday
50 minutes ago
Himanta Biswa Sarma begins his second term as Assam Chief Minister. This marks continuity and the BJP's strong hold in the Northeast. Sarma's leadership has been instrumental in the party's regional success. He aims to continue development initiatives
50 minutes ago
Himanta Biswa Sarma, a senior leader in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has taken oath as the chief minister of India's northeastern state of Assam for a second consecutive term. The BJP retained power in Assam last week
50 minutes ago
Rahul Dravid steps into a new role as owner of Dublin Guardians in the European T20 League. He intends to avoid interfering with the team's cricketing matters. Ravichandran Ashwin will lead the team with full autonomy. Dravid will focus on franchise operations off the field
51 minutes ago
, India’s largest stockbroking platform, has delivered returns in the range of 54-95 times for early investors, including Peak XV, , and , which sold part of their holdings in the fintech company after its IPO lock-in period expired.Silicon Valley investor Sequoia Capital
51 minutes ago
On a rainy, cold morning Masooda makes her way to a hillside cemetery in north-west Kabul to visit the grave of her younger brother Mirwais. But she doesn't know exactly where he was buried after he was killed in a Pakistani airstrike two months ago. Instead, she stands at the edge of a mass grave
51 minutes ago
Tourists heading to the mountains to escape crowded cities are now finding themselves stuck in long traffic jams instead. Photos and videos from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are now drawing attention online after showing vehicles lined up for kilometres in popular tourist spots
51 minutes ago
As many as 173 Indians are among nearly 200 foreigners arrested in Sri Lanka as part of the latest drive in an ongoing crackdown on cybercrime operations, police said on Tuesday (May 12, 2026). A group of 198 foreigners, comprising 173 Indians and 25 Nepalese
51 minutes ago
The National Testing Agency on Tuesday cancelled the 2026 undergraduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test following allegations of a paper leak. The NEET-UG examination, conducted on May 3, is the entrance test for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India
51 minutes ago
Students can check CBSE Class 12 result 2026 pass-fail status and scores even without Internet as the Central Board of Secondary Education has made the provision of multiple facilities. IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) and SMS services are key methods through which candidates can access
51 minutes ago
Delhi's St Stephen’s College appoints first woman principal in 145-year historyProf Susan Elias has been named the first woman principal of St Stephen's College, starting June 1, 2026. Updated on: May 12, 2026 2:06 PM IST By HT Correspondent Share via Copy link Delhi's St Stephen's College on
51 minutes ago
The National Testing Agency on Tuesday announced that it has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026 in coordination and approval of the Government of India. New test dates will be announced in the coming days
51 minutes ago
The US has been holding regular negotiations with Denmark to expand its military presence in Greenland, according to multiple officials familiar with the discussions, with talks between both sides progressing in recent months. US officials are seeking to open three new bases in the south of the
51 minutes ago
A man was apprehended at the new Assam government's swearing-in ceremony. Live bullets were found during security checks at the venue. He was taken into custody for questioning. No weapons were recovered. An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances and any potential security threat
51 minutes ago
Google said Monday that it had disrupted a criminal group’s attempt to use artificial intelligence to exploit another company’s previously unknown digital vulnerability, adding to heightened worries across government and private industry about AI’s risks for cybersecurity
51 minutes ago
May 12, Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on May 12, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Published on: May 12, 2026 11:59 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on May 12
51 minutes ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.I compared the top Ink tank and laser printers: Know which one saves you more money in 2026From ink costs to long-term maintenance
51 minutes ago
Kedarnath temple's earnings jump 34 pc to ₹71.06 crore in 2024-25Kedarnath temple's earnings jump 34 pc to ₹71.06 crore in 2024-25 Published on: May 12, 2026 2:06 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Dehradun, The Kedarnath temple recorded total earnings of ₹71.06 crore from offerings
51 minutes ago
Uber CEO is in India, visiting one of the ride-hailing company’s largest markets globally. During the course of the visit, Khosrowshahi will meet several Union and state ministers, people aware of his plans said.On Tuesday, in New Delhi, the Uber CEO met finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and
51 minutes ago
Who is Doug Weiss? Joni Lamb’s husband claimed she had 2 hairline fractures on her spine month before deathJoni Lamb’s husband, Doug Weiss, revealed that a month before the broadcaster’s death, she was off air because of two hairline fractures on her spine. Published on: May 12
51 minutes ago
Jones Fire: Check map and evacuation updates as massive blaze burns near Wickenburg; shocking videos surfaceThe Jones Fire has burnt 100+ acres of land, and has been active near the Hassayampa River bottom, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said. Updated on: May 12
51 minutes ago
Land mafia has encroached over 17 lakh kanals of state land across Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu division accounts for the majority of this encroachment. Rajouri district is the most affected. Official data reveals the extent of illegal occupation
51 minutes ago
A social media post by a woman named Supriya has gone viral after she shared an email sent to the HR department, informing them she would continue working from home in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal. According to the viral post
51 minutes ago
Women whose names were deleted during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal will not receive benefits of the state government’s Annapurna Bhandar scheme, The Telegraph quoted minister Agnimitra Paul as saying on Monday. Under the scheme
51 minutes ago
Kamal Haasan, Vishal support CM Vijay's order to close 717 liquor shops near schools, temples in Tamil Nadu: ‘Hats off’Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 state-run retail liquor outlets, including 276 shops near places of worship. May 12, 2026
51 minutes ago
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) took a swipe at the appointments of erstwhile Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal as the new West Bengal Chief Secretary and Subrata Gupta as the Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, saying that in the BJP-ECI "chor bazaar"
51 minutes ago
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday took oath as the chief minister of Assam for the second term. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Lakshman Acharya at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the National Democratic Alliance
51 minutes ago
