Trump Slaps $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visa Applicants, Major Blow to Indian Tech Workers:

In a dramatic move to tighten immigration, former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation that imposes a steep $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applicants, dealing a potentially severe blow to the American tech industry, which heavily relies on skilled professionals from countries like India and China. Steep Fees Aimed at Filtering "Highly Skilled" Talent According to Trump, the goal of this new policy is to ensure that only the “most highly skilled” foreign workers are granted entry. “We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said during the announcement. White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf called the H-1B program one of the "most abused" parts of the current immigration system. He claimed the new fee will discourage companies from hiring cheaper foreign labor and instead push them to sponsor only truly exceptional talent. What is the H-1B Visa? The H-1B visa, introduced in 1990, allows U.S. companies to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields like technology, engineering, and science. It is initially granted for three years and can be extended up to six years. Many use it as a pathway to U.S. permanent residency or a Green Card. Applicants must be sponsored by a U.S. employer and are selected through a lottery system run by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). While the visa ensures equal pay and benefits, the application process can already be expensive and competitive — and now, with a $100,000 price tag, it's likely to become far more restrictive. Indians Hit the Hardest Indian nationals will be among the worst affected by this change. According to recent U.S. government data, Indians accounted for 71% of all approved H-1B visa applications, with China following at 11.7%. Major U.S. tech companies like Amazon (including AWS), Microsoft, and Meta rely heavily on Indian tech talent. In just the first half of 2025, Amazon received over 12,000 H-1B approvals, while Microsoft and Meta each had over 5,000. For Indian workers, many of whom renew their visas multiple times while waiting years for a Green Card, the repeated $100,000 fee could make working in the U.S. financially unviable. Citizenship Test Reintroduced In a further immigration crackdown, Trump also announced the return of a more demanding U.S. citizenship test. Originally implemented during his 2020 presidency, the test was rolled back by President Joe Biden. Applicants must now answer 12 out of 20 questions orally from a pool of 128 questions focused on U.S. history and politics. The New ‘Gold Card’ Visa: For the Ultra-Elite Trump also introduced a new "Gold Card" visa program aimed at attracting the global elite. Under this plan, individuals will have to pay $1 million, while businesses must pay $2 million to gain entry into the U.S. “This will raise billions, reduce taxes, and attract extraordinary people who create jobs for Americans,” Trump said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick added that the U.S. will no longer admit “bottom quartile” foreign workers. “We were bringing in people who earned $66,000 a year and were five times more likely to be on government assistance,” he claimed. Conclusion Trump’s sweeping immigration changes are expected to face legal and political challenges, but they have already sparked concern across the tech industry — particularly among Indian professionals who form the backbone of Silicon Valley’s talent pool.

NEWS