H-1B visa fees news live updates: Visa fee hike to hurt US more than India, says think tank

H-1B visa fees news live update: Indian-origin US Congressman Ami Bera, a Democrat who was en route to Delhi when President Donald Trump announced $100,000 annual application fee on the H-1B visa programme, has called the move, effectively shutting the door on skilled Indian employees, a mistake.

The US awards 85,000 H-1B visas annually on a lottery system. India accounts for around three-quarters of the recipients. Large American technology firms rely on Indian workers.

The H-1B programme serves as America's gateway for attracting the world's top talent and skilled professionals who don't merely fill existing positions but create entirely new economic ecosystems, a leading diaspora organisation said Saturday.

“H-1B holders have historically become the architects of innovation, founding companies that generate hundreds of thousands of American jobs and contribute billions in tax revenue to federal, state, and local governments,” nonprofit organisation Indiaspora said in a post on X.

Congress MP Randeep Surjewala on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government over the H1B visa fee hike by the US and asked if there could be a bigger failure than this.

“Due to the policies of a weak Prime Minister and a weak government, 85 lakh rupees will be collected from millions of youth of the country for H-1B visas to America...The result of this will be that Indians working in America will be forced to return to India. What could be a bigger failure than this?” said Surjewala.

State President of the BJP Kerala Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to sign an executive order raising H-1B visa sponsorship fees to $100,000, calling the move detrimental to America's own technology ecosystem.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday attacked the BJP government, commenting that an emergency has struck India's foreign policy under it and that it has failed to protect the country from arbitrary tariffs and visa fees.

He also said the government has failed to protect Indians living abroad from violent attacks.

The decision of the US President Donald Trump to raise H-1B visa fees to USD 100,000 per worker is likely to hurt America more than India, think tank GTRI said on Sunday.

It said that Indian IT firms already employ 50-80 per cent locals in the US, about 100,000 Americans in total.

"So the measure won't create many new jobs. Instead, it will make hiring Indians on-site costlier than hiring locals," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.

Former senior diplomat Mahesh Sachdev criticised the US administration's sudden decision to raise the H-1B visa sponsorship fee to USD 100,000, saying the move was rushed and continues to hamper the free flow of Indian professionals despite partial modifications.

"After having suddenly escalated this issue, giving less than 24 hours practically speaking, over the weekend notice for stakeholders affected by this drastic move, they are trying to put toothpaste back in the tube," Sachdev said.

The Trump administration has clarified that the new USD 100,000 fee for H-1B visas is a one-time payment applicable only to new petitions and does not apply to current visa holders, providing a huge relief for thousands of concerned professionals working in the US, including from India.

Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian termed the recent hike in H-1B visa fees by the US as largely negative, noting that the measure has been modified to cover only fresh applications.

"The latest is that it has been modified. That is, it would apply only to fresh applications. Well, even there, it can be argued, and it has been argued, that it is cheaper to employ non-Americans than Americans. So, for positions where skilled Americans are available, there is some logic for it. But on the whole, the approach is quite negative," Fabian said.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the Congress on Sunday took a swipe at him, asking whether he will address US President Donald Trump's India-Pakistan "ceasefire" claims and the concerns of lakhs of Indian H1B visa holders or just repeat what is already known on the new GST rates.

H-1B visa fees news live update: Some H-1B visa holders compared the panic over the new $100,000 visa fee to their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many rushed back to the US before travel bans took effect.

"My feelings are a mix of disappointment, sadness, and frustration," said one woman in a post under the user handle "Emily's Life in NY."

She recounted boarding a United Airlines flight from New York to Paris to Reuters, saying, it had begun taxiing, but after negotiating with the airline, the captain returned the plane to the gate to let her off.

Feeling "insignificant" and "shaken," she canceled her trip to France, abandoning plans with friends, including some flying in from China, after receiving a letter from her company’s lawyers urging employees abroad to return to the US.

Tech and finance giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, JP Morgan, and Goldman Sachs sent urgent emails to employees, advising them to cut short travel plans and return to the United States immediately.

The White House on Saturday released a fact sheet defending President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, citing concerns over misuse of the program.

A section titled “Combating H-1B abuses” notes that the share of IT workers on H-1B visas has increased from 32% in FY 2003 to over 65% in recent years. The fact sheet states:

"American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation."

The document also highlights cases of American companies laying off domestic tech employees while bringing in H-1B workers:

1. One company was approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY 2025, while laying off roughly 16,000 U.S. employees this year.

2. Another company received approval for 1,698 H-1B workers in FY 2025 but laid off 2,400 U.S. workers in Oregon in July.

3. A third company reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while obtaining 25,075 H-1B approvals.

4. Yet another firm reportedly cut 1,000 American jobs in February despite receiving 1,137 H-1B approvals for FY 2025.

The Trump administration has clarified that the USD 100,000 H-1B visa fee is a ‘one-time’ payment that applies only to new petitions and does not affect current visa holders, offering relief to thousands of professionals in the US, including from India.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement on Saturday that President Trump’s new H-1B visa requirement applies only to new, prospective petitions that have not yet been filed.

H-1B petitions submitted before the effective proclamation date of September 21 are not impacted. Those visa holders currently outside the US also do not need to pay the fee to re-enter the country.

H-1B visa fees news live update: The new $100,000 H-1B visa fee has raised concerns about its impact on Indian tech professionals and remittances, with around 71–72% of H-1B visas going to Indians.

The Indian government said on Saturday that the full implications of the US decision are being studied by all concerned, including the Indian industry, noting potential humanitarian consequences due to disruption for families.

In a statement on the restrictions to the US H-1B visa program, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said:

"The Government has seen reports related to the proposed restrictions on the US H1B visa program. The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program."

"Industry in both India and the US has a stake in innovation and creativity and can be expected to consult on the best path forward," the statement added.

The Indian Embassy in the US also issued an emergency assistance number for citizens seeking urgent support. “Indian nationals seeking emergency assistance may call cell number 1-202-550-9931 (and WhatsApp),” the Embassy said in a post on X.

H-1B visa fees news live update: Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian commented on the White House clarification regarding the $100,000 H-1B visa fee: "Trump changed his mind, because that would have, if the conditions had applied to those who hold H1B visas now, that could have led to the separation of families... The whole thing is unjustified, but by confining it to new applicants, the administration has shown some sense because it came across opposition from the corporate companies and it had time to recognise its own mistake," reported news agency ANI.

The remark comes after the White House clarified that the fee applies only to new visa petitions and does not affect current H-1B holders, easing concerns about potential disruption for thousands of Indian professionals and their families in the US.

H-1B visa fees news live update: As President Donald Trump announced the $100,000 H-1B visa fee, the White House cited concerns over the visa program, highlighting that several American companies have laid off US tech workers while replacing them with foreign employees.

“President Trump is imposing higher costs on companies seeking to use the H-1B program in order to address the abuse of the program, stop the undercutting of wages, and protect our national security,” the White House said in a fact sheet. Read More

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that existing H-1B visa holders, including those currently outside the United States, will not be charged the new fee to re-enter. The $100,000 fee for H-1B visas applies only to new visa petitions and does not affect renewals or current visa holders. Top 10 FAQs

H-1B visa fees news live update: A Nvidia engineer, who has lived in the US for 10 years, told Reuters at San Francisco airport that he had been vacationing in Japan with his wife and infant when he hurried to reschedule his return flight after hearing the news.

"It feels surreal," he said. "Everything is changing in an instant.”

This comes as H-1B visa holders, particularly from India and China, scramble to return to the US before the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee takes effect.

H-1B visa fees news live update: Panic and confusion spread among H-1B visa holders from India and China, as many abandoned travel plans and hurried back to the United States following President Donald Trump’s new $100,000 H-1B visa fee order, part of his broader immigration crackdown.

Several tech companies and banks issued urgent memos, advising employees to return before 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday (4:01 a.m. GMT) and warning them not to leave the country until further guidance.

Fearing they might be denied re-entry once the new rule comes into effect, several Indian nationals at San Francisco airport reportedly cut short their vacations, Reuters reported.

“It is a situation where we had to choose between family and staying here," said an engineer at a large tech company.

H-1B visa fees news live update: As the new H-1B visa rules take effect on Sunday, the White House clarified that the $100,000 fee for H-1B visas will be levied per petition and is not an annual charge.

"This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday.

A petition is a request by a company to bring a skilled worker from another country into the United States. Leavitt added that current H-1B visa holders outside the US will not be charged the fee to re-enter the country.

The clarification comes after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested on Friday that the fee might be annual, adding that details were "still being considered." The White House’s Saturday statement effectively corrected that earlier comment.