Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa shock: Why US may lose more than India
SEPT 22 - Panic, confusion and then a hasty White House climbdown - it was a weekend of whiplash for hundreds of thousands of Indians on H-1B visas. On Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today |..
✨ Key Highlights
US President Donald Trump's announcement of a proposed $100,000 hike in H-1B visa fees caused widespread confusion and panic among Indian tech workers before the White House clarified the fee would apply only to new applicants and be a one-off.
- The proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee for new applicants is significantly higher than the 2023 median salary for new H-1B employees, which was $94,000.
- Indians dominate the H-1B program, making up over 70% of recipients in recent years, including key roles in tech (over 80% of "computer" jobs in 2015) and medicine (5-6% of total US physicians).
- Experts like immigration policy analyst Gil Guerra warn of medium to long-term labor shortages in the US, while David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, predicts a "devastating blow to US innovation and competitiveness."
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White House Clarifies New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Applies Only to New Applicants - September 2025
An announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump about a $100,000 hike in H-1B visa fees caused widespread confusion and panic among foreign workers. Many H-1B visa holders scrambled to return to the US, fearing the fee would apply to current visa holders returning from abroad, with one person reporting spending $8,000 to get back. The White House subsequently clarified that the new fee, effective Sunday, applies only to new applicants. The clarification specified that renewals or current visa holders would not be subject to the fee. According to the White House, this measure aims to encourage companies to hire American workers.
