H-1B visa fees news live updates: Government asks all missions to help Indians travelling to US in next 24 hours

BJD Vice President Prasanna Acharya has questioned if Donald Trump's move to hike the H1B visa fees is “a sign of friendship or enmity.”
"It will definitely affect (the bilateral relations between India and the US). President Trump has implemented all restrictions on India. Despite this, Trump, in his daily speeches, kept saying that they have the best relationship with India and PM Modi... Is this pointing towards the best relationship? They are increasing tariffs, trying to finish the Indian market in the US, and putting restrictions on visas. So, is this a signal of friendship or enmity?... America has a daily agenda to harass India or Indians from every angle. We will decide where to get oil and where not to; we are a democratic, independent country. We will not submit to anyone. This is Trump's bullying, and it cannot be tolerated," he told ANI.

According to federal data, Amazon hires the largest number of foreign workers, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Microsoft, Meta, and Apple.

Until now, employers sponsoring H-1B visas have paid a combination of fees totalling anywhere from over $1,700 to over $8,000 per worker, depending on company size, processing speed, and visa type.

The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system, with India accounting for around three-quarters of the recipients.

Former diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar has said that Donald Trump's move on H1B visas is a setback for Indians and also for the American big tech.
"This is definitely a setback for all H1B holders, not just new applicants but also those already there. They will have to pay $100,000 annually, roughly ₹88 lakhs in India. This is a major setback, especially for Indians freshly graduating from US universities or starting their careers. It will be very difficult for them to get that sort of money. About 71% of H1B visa holders are Indian professionals... It's also a big setback for the American high-tech industry, which employs many Indian professionals. Without them, it will be very difficult for the US to find its own American workers to fill those high-tech jobs and meet high-tech requirements," the former diplomat said.

US President Donald Trump's sudden move to raise the fee for H-1B visas to $100,000 ( ₹88 lakh) and a short implementation deadline of September 21 has sparked chaos at US airports, with reports of several Indian techies disembarking from aircraft as soon as the announcement was made. During this time, several Indians working abroad come home for Durga Puja, which starts next week.
Within two hours of Trump's announcement, the one-way flight fare from New Delhi to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York jumped to ₹70,000-80,000 from around ₹37,000.

"Flights from New Delhi to NYC are currently $4,500. They are all rushing back to the states because they are worried about the new H-1B visa rules, one user tweeted.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday slammed the Union government over the hike in the H1-B visa fee.

Speaking to reporters at the party office in Lucknow, Yadav said, "Your foreign policy has failed in the foreign (countries). Economic policies have failed. You have failed in making relationships."

The former chief minister also attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that he wanted guns in people's hands, not books.

"Try to remember, he (apparently referring to Adityanath) does not want anyone to go abroad, neither for studies nor for work, but only to operate guns. (People) can go to Russia, join the army (there). Go to Israel, and fight along with its army. Those with H-1B visas should not go for good jobs," he said.

The former UP chief minister said Indians will only get visa relief once the Narendra Modi-led central government is out of power.

White House has said that abuses of the H-1B program present a national security threat by discouraging Americans from pursuing careers in science and technology, risking American leadership in these fields. The statement cited a 2017 study showing that wages for American computer scientists would have been 2.6 per cent to 5.1 per cent higher, and employment in computer science for American workers would have been 6.1 per cent to 10.8 per cent higher in 2001, absent the importation of foreign workers into the computer science field.

Here are some FAQs related to the new order concerning H-1B visas. All questions answered here.

The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has attacked PM Narendra Modi after US President Donald Trump imposed a $100,000 fee for H1B visas.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi referenced his 2017 post in which he questioned the PM for not taking up the H1B visa issue with Donald Trump, who was then in his first term as President.

Rahul posted, " I repeat, India has a weak PM."

Telangana Jagruthi chief K Kavitha on Saturday criticised the United States for increasing the H1B visa fees to $100,000, extending solidarity with any affected workers and highlighting how such a move will "impact international relations."

Highlighting the contributions of Telugu people in technological fields in US, Kavitha told ANI, "Telugu people have made contributions to the US in developing the country and making it a technologically sound country. Telugu software engineers and Telugu businessmen have made great contributions. Unfortunately, we have seen several knee-jerk reactions of Trump in the past 2-4 months."

She highlighted how people with a "scientific temperament" go to the US. She expressed solidarity with the affected workers and told them to have faith.

"Such decisions will impact international relations. India sends its talented people with a scientific temperament...To the Telugu people I would like to say is to have faith. Something or the other will come up. We stand with you," she added.

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Saturday reacted with a mix of humour and scepticism to US President Donald Trump's Executive Order raising the H-1B visa sponsorship fee to $100,000.

While speaking to ANI, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "I pray to God and wait for him to get some wisdom."

The White House has blamed the steep visa fee hike on companies laying off American workers to hire H1B holders.

“Reports also indicate that many American tech companies have laid off their qualified and highly skilled American workers and simultaneously hired thousands of H-1B workers. One software company was approved for over 5,000 H-1B workers in FY 2025; around the same time, it announced a series of layoffs totalling more than 15,000 employees. Another IT firm was approved for nearly 1,700 H-1B workers in FY 2025; it announced it was laying off 2,400 American workers in Oregon in July. A third company has reduced its workforce by approximately 27,000 American workers since 2022, while being approved for over 25,000 H-1B workers since FY 2022. A fourth company reportedly eliminated 1,000 jobs in February; it was approved for over 1,100 H-1B workers for FY 2025,” the White House statement read.

US President Donald Trump on Friday introduced the “Trump Gold Card” and “Platinum Card” schemes for applicants seeking US residency. The new visa programme, designed for the world’s wealthiest individuals, seeks to entice them to immigrate to the US by offering residency permits at a substantial cost.

The announcement coincided with Donald Trump’s declaration of a steep $100,000 application fee for the widely used H-1B visa program, a measure expected to impact Indians most severely.

Deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that Donald Trump's move to hike the H1B visa fees would end up hurting the US itself.
"The recent decision of the US government has hurt and hit the aspirations of many of our best and brightest Indian minds...These are the minds that power American innovation, that transform their companies as CEOs...So, indirectly, the US is only hurting itself by taking this draconian measure...It's sad to see Prime Minister Modi practising this foreign policy of strategic silence. I don't think remaining silent is helping us. I remember Dr. Manmohan Singh, when one IFS officer was insulted in New York, the bold steps that he took in New Delhi resounded in the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. Today, not one diplomat, but thousands and thousands of Indian minds have been disturbed by the recent decision of the American government and unfortunately Prime Minister Modi is lacking the strength of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh," Gogoi told ANI.

Industry body Nasscom said on Saturday that the H-1B visa fee hike will disrupt the US business of Indian IT companies.

“India’s IT companies will be impacted as business continuity will be disrupted for onshore projects and additional costs will require adjustments,” Nasscom said in a statement. “Companies will work closely with clients to adapt and manage transitions.”

“However, it is also important to note that India and India-centric companies have been steadily reducing their reliance on these visas through increased local hiring in recent years.”

These companies also follow all necessary governance and compliance in the US for H-1B processes, pay the prevailing wages and contribute to the local economy and innovation partnerships with academia and startups.

“The H-1B workers for these companies by no means are a threat to national security in the US,” Nasscom said.

Congress' Ashok Gehlot said that he ‘cannot figure out' friendship between PM Modi and Donald Trump after the H1B visa move.
"The kind of friendship President Donald Trump is maintaining, I can't figure out what to call such a friendship. They are maintaining friendship and also issuing orders against us... With the imposition of 50% tariffs, many industries have fallen into crisis. Lakhs of people will become unemployed because of this. This has become a matter of concern for the entire country," Gehlot told the media.

Donald Trump administration's move to impose staggering annual fee of $100,000 on H1B visa petitions has sent shockwaves across the globe, particularly in India that constitutes more than 70 per cent of US' H1B visa-holders. Read how Indians reacted.

H-1B visa fees news live: Several big firms like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have issued advisories to their employees to return to the United States by September 21, when the $100,000 H-1B annual fee rule kicks in.

The presidential order states that the Secretary of Homeland Security must deny or restrict approval of H-1B petitions unless the $100,000 payment has been made. This rule will apply to even those H-1B visa applicants who have been outside the US for 12 months, after the rule takes effect on September 21, 2025.

H-1B visa fees news live: The annual $100,000 H-1B visa fees comes as a major setback as the amount is higher than the annual salary of most holders of these visas, an HT analysis shows, reflecting that the move basically amounts to effectively killing the 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”. Read full report here

H-1B visa fees news live: The presidential order press release shared on White House website quoted Donald Trump saying that the the “severe harms that the large-scale abuse" of the H-1B visa programme has inflicted on the US economic and national security demands an immediate response.

"I therefore find that the unrestricted entry into the United States of certain foreign workers… would be detrimental to the interests of the United States because such entry would harm American workers, including by undercutting their wages," the proclamation read. Read full order here

H-1B visa fees news live: Referring to nonimmigrant workers as “aliens”, a section of the proclamation also lists an exception to the new H-1B visa restrictions and $100,000 fee requirement. It allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to exempt certain individuals, companies, or entire industries from the rule if it is determined to be in the national interest and does not pose a threat to US security or welfare.

In simple terms, this means a worker could be allowed entry without the fee if their role is deemed critical, favouring national security.

H-1B visa fees news live: In 2024, Indians comprised 71 per cent of the 3,99,395 H-1B visas grantees, followed by China with just 11.7 per cent. India has dominated the number of H-1B visa grantees historically as well.

Given that Indians account for over 70% of H-1B visa holders, these restrictions could prove especially damaging to the Indian diaspora in America. Read more on impact on Indians here

H-1B visa fees news live: US President Donald Trump described the misuse of the H-1B system as a "national security threat", citing investigations by law enforcement into outsourcing firms heavily reliant on the programme.

"The abuse of the H-1B program is also a national security threat. Domestic law enforcement agencies have identified and investigated H-1B-reliant outsourcing companies for engaging in visa fraud, conspiracy to launder money... and other illicit activities to encourage foreign workers to come to the United States [sic]," Trump said.

The President argued that imposing a steep fee on companies is necessary to curb systemic abuse, while still allowing access to highly skilled global talent. Read more here

H-1B visa fees news live: In view of the $100,000 H-1B visa fee action of Trump-led administration, Amazon also on Saturday advised employees holding H-1B and H-4 visas to remain in the United States. Before Amazon, Microsoft had issued a similar advisory.

In a note seen by Reuters, the company said, “If you have H-1B status and are in the US, stay in the country for now.”

The advisory further added that Amazon “recommends H-1B and H-4 visa holders to return to the US before 12:00 am EDT Sept 21.” Read more