US H-1B visa fee skyrockets to $100,000: What's the impact

Business Sep 21, 2025

The US just bumped up the H-1B visa fee to a whopping $100,000 per new applicant—a move signed by President Donald Trump recently.
Experts say this probably won't boost local US jobs much, since Indian IT companies already hire plenty of Americans.
But it's definitely shaking things up for Indian professionals hoping to work in the States.

India may gain from this

With higher costs, many companies may choose to run more operations from India instead of hiring in the US, which could mean fewer local jobs and pricier projects for American clients.
On the bright side, Ajay Srivastava from GTRI thinks India can actually gain here—returning skilled workers might help strengthen India's software and cybersecurity scene even more.