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Trump tightens immigration noose with H-1B visa fee hike: 10 key things to know
H-1B visa fee hike: 10 things you must know as Trump increases fee to $100,000, tightens immigration
In a move seen as crackdown on immigration and furthering the “America first” agenda, United States President Donald Trump on Friday, September 19, signed a proclamation increasing the H-1B visa application fee to a staggering USD 100,000 (approximately ₹88 lakh). The H-1B visa fee hike to $100,000 could significantly impact Indian employees working in the US on work visa.
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that enables the US companies to hire foreign workers for specialized roles in fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and IT, requiring high skills and at least a bachelor's degree.
With the H-1B visa fee hike set to strain India-US relations just weeks after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, here are 10 key things you need to know:
H-1B visa fee hike: 10 things to know
How did India react? In its first reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that there likely would be “humanitarian consequences” of the H-1B visa fee hike “by way of the disruption caused for families”. The ministry also said that full implications are being studied. What did PM Modi say? While PM Modi did not react to Donald Trump raising the H-1B visa fee, he did mention the “biggest enemy” of India is “dependence on other countries” as he promoted self-reliance. He said, “Today, India is moving forward with the spirit of 'Vishwabandhu'. Duniya mein koi hamara bada dushman nahi hai. Agar hamara koi dushman hai toh woh hai dusre deshon par hamari nirbharta [We have no major enemy in the world. Our biggest enemy is our dependence on other countries].” Why was the H-1B fee hiked? The Trump administration has justified the H-1B fee hike to $100,000, saying that it would ensure that the people being hired from other countries are “highly skilled” and do not replace Americans. When will the H-1B visa fee hike take effect? The new rule is effective from September 21, 2025 and valid for 12 months. Decision on renewal of the executive order will happen 30 days after the H-1B lottery Who will be impacted the most? The hike is set to heavily affect Indian tech professionals employed by companies on H-1B visas. India-born are the largest beneficiaries, accounting for more than 70% of all approved H-1B petitions annually since 2015. The visas are valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years. Who pays the H-1B visa fee? White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf has said that the proclamation signed by Donald Trump will raise the fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants to $100,000. The $100,000 H-1B fee will be charged annually. Almost all visa fees must be paid by employers. Are US companies supportive of the H-1B visa fee hike? According to Donald Trump, all tech companies “love it”. He said, “They really love it. They need it. The main thing is, we're going to have great people coming in. And we're going to be able to keep people in our country that are going to be very productive people.” Will the new H-1B visa fee apply to current visa holders, renewals, or only to first-time applicants from abroad? Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explains that it is the companies that would decide on the renewals or the first times. He said, “Is that person valuable enough to have USD 100,000 a year payment to the government, or they should head home and they should go hire an American. It can be a total of six years, so USD 100,000 a year. So either the person is very valuable to the company and America, or they're going to depart and the company is going to hire an American.” How did JP Morgan, Microsoft and Meta react? In a mail to its employees, JP Morgan advised its H-1B visa holders that they should stay in the US and also recommended them and H-4 visa holders to return to the country before the September 21 deadline. Microsoft also recommended its H-1B visa holders to remain in the US or return to the country within 24 hours. Who are the biggest beneficiaries of H-1B visas? According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, Amazon and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visas. As of June 2025, Amazon had 10,044 H-1B workers, followed by TCS with 5,505. The others that follow are Microsoft (5189), Meta (5123), Apple (4202), Google (4181), Deloitte (2353), Infosys (2004), and Wipro (1523).(With agency inputs)Source: LiveMint
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