H-1B Visa Applications face a major change as Donald Trump signs a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee. This move introduces proposed reforms that could significantly impact students, graduates, and tech workers across the globe.
President Donald Trump on September 19, 2025, signed a proclamation that sharply raised the yearly fee for H-1B visas to 100,000 dollars, a move that may badly affect Indian professionals working in the U.S.
This action is part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration regulations.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf stated,
“The H-1B non-immigrant visa program is among the most abused visa systems in the current immigration framework, designed to allow highly skilled workers to enter the United States in fields where there is a shortage of American labor.”
According to the Trump administration, the purpose of the 100,000 dollar fee is to ensure that only “very highly skilled” individuals are brought into the country, preventing them from taking jobs away from American workers.
This initiative aims to safeguard American employment while providing companies a means to hire “truly extraordinary people from abroad”. It’s important to note that companies are responsible for sponsoring H-1B applicants.
Mr. Trump remarked while signing the proclamation in the Oval Office, accompanied by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick,
“We need workers. We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,”
Mr. Lutnick pointed out that the employment-based Green Card program historically admitted 281,000 individuals annually, who earned an average of 66,000 dollar and were five times more likely to rely on government assistance.
He noted,
“So we were taking in the bottom quartile, below the average American. It was illogical; it was the only country in the world that was taking in the bottom quartile,”
He said,
“We are going to stop doing that. We’re going to only take extraordinary people at the very top, instead of those trying to take jobs from Americans. They’re going to create businesses and create jobs for Americans. And this programme will raise more than $100 billion for the treasury of the United States,” he added. Mr. Trump stated that this amount would be used to reduce taxes and pay down the national debt. “We think it’s going to be very successful,”
Mr. Lutnick confirmed that the 100,000 Dollar fee will be assessed annually.
This development is expected to have a considerable impact on Indian technology workers employed by tech companies and others on H-1B visas. These visas are valid for three years and can be renewed for an additional three years. If a company sponsors an employee for a Green Card, the visas can be extended until permanent residency is granted.
However, many Indians on work visas in the U.S. face a prolonged wait for Green Cards, and the new fee could affect their ability to remain in the country if their companies opt not to pay the annual 100,000 dollar fee to maintain their visas.
Mr. Lutnick explained,
“So the whole idea is, no more will these big tech companies or other big companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government Rs.100,000, then they have to pay the employee. So it’s just not economic. If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land, train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs. That’s the policy here. And all of the big companies are on board. We’ve spoken to them about it,”
Mr. Trump added,
“Tech companies love it. They really love it. They really love it. They need it.”
He also signed an executive order called ‘The Gold Card’, which aims to create a new visa pathway for foreigners with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to supporting the United States.
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Under the Gold Card program, individuals who can contribute $1 million to the U.S. Treasury or $2 million if sponsored by a corporation will receive expedited visa processing and a pathway to a Green Card.
Mr. Trump said,
“We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars. The Gold Card will be taking in hundreds of billions of dollars, and companies will be able to keep some people they need. They need people of expertise, great expertise. I think it’s going to be a fantastic thing, and we’re going to take that money and we’re going to reduce taxes, we’re going to reduce debt,”
When questioned about whether the new $100,000 fee will apply to existing H1-B visa holders, both for renewals and new applicants from abroad, Mr. Lutnick responded,
“Renewals, first times, the company needs to decide. Is that person valuable enough to have $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home and go hire an American.”
Mr. Lutnick stated,
“It can be a total of six years, so $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. That’s the point of immigration hire Americans and make sure the people coming in are the top, top people. Stop the nonsense of letting people just come into this country on these visas that were given away for free. The President is crystal clear. Valuable people only for America. Stop the nonsense,”
Regarding whether technology CEOs, who employ foreign workers on H1-B visas, are worried about this new initiative, Mr. Trump remarked that they will likely be pleased.
He said,
“Everyone’s going to be happy. And we’re going to be able to keep people in our country that are going to be very productive people. And in many cases, these companies are going to pay a lot of money for that, and they’re very happy about it,”
Why Indians Will Be the Most Affected
Indians make up a significant majority of the H-1B program, with approximately 71–73 percent of all approvals in recent years granted to them, in contrast to just 11–12 percent for China. In FY 2023, India received 191,000 H-1B visas, and this number increased to around 207,000 in FY 2024. This means that over 200,000 Indian professionals currently holding H-1Bs could be directly affected.
The financial implications are considerable. Even if we assume a conservative estimate of 60,000 Indians impacted immediately, the annual cost would amount to $6 billion (approximately Rs.53,000 crores). If the situation affects all Indian H-1B holders, the total annual burden could escalate to Rs.1.8 lakh crores.
For individuals, the financial impact is even more severe. A mid-level Indian engineer in the U.S. earning $120,000 annually would find that the $100,000 visa fee consumes over 80 percent of their salary, making migration impractical for all but the highest earners.
Additionally, Indians constitute a large portion of the international student body in the U.S., many of whom transition to H-1B visas after completing their master’s or PhD programs. For these students, a six-figure levy could close off career opportunities in America.
The H-1B visa is a type of non-immigrant visa that lets U.S. companies hire foreign workers for specialized jobs requiring technical or theoretical knowledge.
- Specialized Jobs: The job must require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field such as IT, engineering, medicine, or finance.
- Employer Sponsorship: The visa application must be filed by the U.S. employer on behalf of the worker.
- Validity Period: It is usually granted for 3 years initially, with the option to extend up to 6 years.
- Family Members: Spouses and children under 21 can join on an H-4 visa.
- Visa Limits: There is an annual cap of 85,000 visas, 65,000 for regular applicants and 20,000 for those with a U.S. master’s degree. Some organizations, like non-profits and research institutions, may be exempt from this cap.
- Fees: Employers pay filing fees and sometimes additional charges for training or fraud prevention. Recent fee increases may significantly impact Indian professionals.
- Pathway to Green Card: Many H-1B holders use this visa as a step toward permanent residency in the U.S.
Recently, On September 19, 2025, the U.S. President signed a new rule raising the annual H-1B visa fee to $100,000. This change could especially affect Indian professionals, who make up the largest group of H-1B visa holders.