AP & Telangana State Head – Anandam Dundi :-
Washington, US – In a sweeping move to tighten U.S. immigration, former President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee on H-1B visa applicants, a sharp increase that could significantly impact the technology sector’s ability to hire skilled foreign workers, particularly from India and China.
Trump said the measure aims to ensure only “very highly skilled” workers are admitted and to protect American jobs. “We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that’s what’s going to happen,” he stated.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf called the H-1B program one of the “most abused” visa systems. He noted the steep fee will push companies to sponsor only top-tier candidates who cannot be easily replaced by U.S. workers.
Heavy Impact on Indian Tech Talent
Indians are the largest H-1B beneficiaries, receiving 71 % of approvals last year, with China a distant second at 11.7 %, according to U.S. government data.
Major employers like Amazon (including AWS) secured over 12,000 H-1B approvals in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta each received more than 5,000.
The new fee could make renewals prohibitively expensive: H-1B visas typically last three years and can be extended up to six, but many applicants must repeatedly renew while awaiting a Green Card, multiplying costs.
Tougher Citizenship Test
The administration also announced a more demanding U.S. citizenship exam, reviving a policy from Trump’s previous term. Applicants will need to study 128 civics questions and correctly answer 12 of 20 orally.
‘Gold Card’ Visa Program
In a parallel move, Trump introduced a ‘Gold Card’ visa, requiring $1 million for individuals or $2 million for businesses seeking entry. The program targets “extraordinary people at the very top” who can invest, create businesses, and generate U.S. jobs, said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Trump argued the new plan will raise billions to reduce taxes and national debt. Lutnick criticized the existing employment-based Green Card system as “illogical,” saying it admits lower-income workers averaging $66,000 per year and more likely to need government assistance.
Industry Concerns
The tech industry, heavily reliant on global talent, is bracing for potential disruptions. Companies dependent on H-1B visas warn that the high fees and added hurdles could deter skilled workers and slow innovation in critical fields such as AI, cloud computing, and engineering.