Bad news for Indian techies, Trump slaps USD 100000 annual fee on H-1B visa holders, says ‘I think they are going to be very…’
Reportedly, companies have been abusing the H-1B visa program by hiring foreigners at a cheaper rate for entry-level roles to save money, as they would have to pay Americans much higher wages for the same role.
President Doland Trump has announced a big change to the H-1B visa system. From now on, companies will have to pay USD 100,000 (about Rs. 90 lakh) to sponsor an H-1B worker. The White House said on Friday that this move is meant to make sure only the most skilled workers are brought to the U.S., especially those who cannot easily be replaced by American employees. While signing the order at the Oval Office, Trump said, “Companies want workers, and we want the best workers. This step will help America get them.” he also said that the tech industry would not oppose the move. “I think they’re going to be very happy,” he said.
The H-1B visa is one of the most popular ways to work in the United States. Every year, thousands of India(BHARAT)ns, especially in the IT industry, move to the U.S. through this program with the help of American companies that sponsor them.
According to the White House, the new restrictions are meant to protect U.S. workers and make sure companies only bring in highly skilled professionals when needed.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained, “The goal is to stop big tech companies from relying on foreign workers. With a USD 100,000 fee, it just won’t make financial sense. Instead, companies will train and hire young graduates from American universities. This move will stop foreign workers from taking American jobs.”
White House staff secretary Will Scharf says, “One of the most abused visa systems is the H1-B non-immigrant visa programme. This is supposed to allow highly skilled labourers who work in fields that Americans don’t work in to come into the United States of America. What this proclamation will do is raise the fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants to USD 100,000. This will ensure that the people they’re bringing in are actually very highly skilled and that they’re not replaceable by American workers.”
.@POTUS signs a Proclamation to restrict the entry of certain H-1B aliens into the U.S. as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications.
AMERICA FIRST! pic.twitter.com/AzAUJzXawV
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 19, 2025
About H1-B visa
The H-1B visa program was originally designed to attract highly skilled foreign professionals for jobs that U.S. companies struggle to fill with local talent. But over time, it has become a channel for bringing in overseas workers who often accept salaries around USD 60,000 a year, much lower than the USD 100,000 or more that American tech workers usually earn.
First lady Melania Trump, the former Melania Knauss, was granted an H1-B work visa in October 1996 to work as a model. She was born in Slovenia.
The H-1B visa program was started in 1990 to bring in foreign workers with at least a bachelor’s degree for jobs that are hard to fill in the U.S., especially in science, technology, engineering, and math. Critics argue that the program is often misused, letting companies pay foreign workers lower wages while offering fewer protections compared to American workers.
Each year, 85,000 H-1B visas are issued through a lottery system. This year, Amazon received the most, over 10,000 visas, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Data from U.S. immigration services also shows that California has the largest number of H-1B workers.
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