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Indian Defense
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India Responds to Trumpโs H-1B Visa Hike
PUBLISHED
SEP 22, 2025 AT 04:20 AM EDT
UPDATED
SEP 22, 2025 AT 06:57 AM EDT
By Hugh Cameron
U.S. News Reporter
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
India has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration hiking the price of skilled worker visas to $100,000.
On Saturday, India's Ministry of External Affairs warned that the move was "likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families."
The following day, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal said the U.S. was "a little afraid of our talent."
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on September 21, 2025 in Washington, DC...Read More | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images/Getty Images
Why It Matters
As figures in both the private and public sphere have noted, since its inception in the 1990s, the H-1B program has facilitated a significant transfer of talent from India to the United States, making sizable contributions to the American tech sector. Some have warned that the Trump administration's decision will limit the flow of foreign-born workers to the U.S. under the program and that both countries' economies will suffer as a result. However, critics of the program have long maintained that it is open to abuse and puts downward pressure on wages for American workers.The announcement has also flared tensions between the U.S. and India, already strained over Trump's decision to hike the country's tariff rate to 50 percent because of its continued purchase of Russian Federation oil. The potential economic consequences of the measureโwhich limits India's access to its primary export marketโsparked calls for a nationwide boycott of American goods and prompted the country's leadership to advocate for greater self-reliance.
What To Know
On Friday, the White House announced that applications for H-1B visasโwhich allow U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized fieldsโmust now be accompanied by a $100,000 payment to "curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security."Some 71 percent of H-1B recipients come from India, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, followed by China at 12 percent.
Employees entering the country through the visa program primarily support specialized sectors such as IT, software development and engineering. The largest H-1B employers in the U.S. as of late June were Amazon, with over 10,000 approved beneficiaries, followed by the Indian multinational Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google.
In its announcement, the White House cited the rising share of foreign-born IT workers in the U.S., unemployment rates among recent American graduates and layoffs that have swept the tech sector this year.
The announcement caused immediate confusion, with The Indian Express reporting a surge in last-minute flight bookings to the U.S. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Amazon, Microsoft and JPMorgan were among the U.S. firms advising their foreign-born employees to remain in the U.S. or return before the order came into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday.
The administration later clarified that the fee would apply only to new applicants, not current holders or renewals. Still, Indian officials and companies have taken serious issue with the move.
Revanth Reddy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Telangana, called Trump's decision "totally unacceptable in the historical context of Indo-American relationships."
Reddy called for the Indian government to "immediately set up a mechanism to resolve this amicably" and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do so "on a war footing."
Nasscom, India's leading IT trade body, said the change would "potentially have ripple effects on America's innovation ecosystem" and lead to "considerable uncertainty for businesses, professionals, and students across the world."
What People Are Saying
Madhavi Arora, the chief economist at Emkay Global Financial, wrote in a note cited by CNN: "Service exports have finally been dragged into the ongoing global trade and tech war."Arora added that the move could "catalyze India's transformation into a more powerful global innovation and delivery hub."
India's Ministry of External Affairs wrote in a statement posted on X: "Industry in both India and the U.S. has a stake in innovation and creativity and can be expected to consult on the best path forward."
Gil Guerra, the immigration policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, told the BBC: "Since the latest White House directive indicates that the fee would only apply to new H-1B recipients, this is more likely to cause medium and long-term labor shortages instead of immediate disruption."
C. P. Gurnani, a former CEO of the Indian IT services firm Mahindra Satyam, told Bloomberg Television: "There is a shortage of STEM-skilled talent [in the U.S.], and when we send people on H-1B, we are only helping America. And we are making American companies more competitive."
What Happens Next
Indian tech stocks sank on Monday following the order, with Tata Consultancy Services down over 3 percent at the time of writing.The move is likely to be a central topic in the upcoming meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, which is set to take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday.
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On September 22, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the United Nations General Assembly. This meeting occurred shortly after the Trump administration announced a significant increase in fees for H-1B visa applications.
Key Changes Announced
- New Fee Structure: A $100,000 fee will now be required for new H-1B visa applications. This change aims to address concerns about the displacement of U.S. workers and national security.
- Impact on Indian Nationals: The fee hike disproportionately affects Indian nationals, who make up over 70% of H-1B visa holders. This has raised concerns about potential job losses and disruptions in the Indian tech sector.
Responses and Reactions
- Indian Government's Stance: The Indian government has expressed concerns about the humanitarian impact of these changes, warning of possible disruptions for families and professionals.
- Continued Engagement: Both Rubio and Jaishankar emphasized the importance of maintaining strong bilateral relations despite these tensions. They agreed to continue discussions on various issues, including trade and technology.
Krishna with Flute
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Trump is a great human being. I like this guy. Aur dalo fees.
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Are you jumping for joy?
Some H1B families are having sleepless nights here in the US - they have children in school. These kids don't even speak Hindi or Gujarati.
In Bengali we say,
Kisi ka Pausha Maas (Month of Pausha - Celebration)
Kisi ka Sharvanaash (เคธเคฐเฅเคตเคจเคพเคถ)
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Why US consulates cancelled H-1B appointments for Indians
The expanded vetting policy and subsequent appointment cancellations are part of a long list of controversies surrounding the H-1B programme since Trump took office.
Udit Hinduja22 December, 2025 01:51 pm IST
https://pkdefense.com/javascript:void(0)
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New Delhi: Thousands of Indian H-1B visa holders who returned to India to renew their American work permits have been left stranded, after appointments between 15 and 26 December were abruptly cancelled and rescheduled.
The disruptions come on the heels of an expanded social media vetting policy, part of US President Donald Trumpโs clampdown on immigration. With expired visas, many Indians are stuck at home without the authorization to head back to the United States.
Why is visa vetting taking so long?
As part of the new vetting policy, the State Department has instructed all visa holders to change their social media privacy settings to โpublicโ, allowing the administration to scrutinize their posts and flag any content deemed to be against the interests of the US.The US State Department explained that officials needed more time to ensure that no applicants โpose a threat to US national security or public safetyโ and that thorough vetting was now being prioritized.
If an H-1B visa holderโs stamp expires and they travel outside the US, they need to obtain a new stamp at a US Consulate before re-entering the country. The new policy has led to visa renewal appointment delays of up to 12 months, with many employees fearful of losing their jobs.
Apple, Google, Microsoft and other tech companies have warned visa-holding employees to avoid international travel. According to memos accessed by Business Insider, a Microsoft associate general counsel for immigration wrote that rescheduling notifications were concentrated in Chennai and Hyderabad.
The memos also contained instructions for employees stranded in foreign countries and recommended that those still in the US change their travel plans.
What other controversies surround the visa programme?
The expanded vetting policy and subsequent appointment cancellations are part of a long list of controversies surrounding the H-1B programme since Trump took office. In September 2025, he announced a $100,000 fee for new applications โ a massive spike from the traditional $2,000 to $5,000 original fee.In November 2025, former US Representative and economist Dave Brat alleged that the Madras (Chennai) district got 220,000 H-1B visas, despite the statutory US annual cap of 85,000 visas.
โThatโs 2.5 times the cap that Congress has set. Thatโs the scam,โ said Brat, on the War Room podcast hosted by Steve Bannon. โOne of these folks that comes over claiming theyโre skilled โ they are not. Thatโs the fraud. They just took away from your familyโs job, your mortgage, house and all that.โ
He also pointed out that around 71 per cent of all H-1B visas reportedly go to India, while only 12 per cent go to China โ implying that such a lopsided distribution itself should set off alarm bells.
In the same month, former US diplomat, Mahvash Siddiqui, claimed that during her stint from 2005 to 2007, she saw โindustrialized fraudโ in visa approvals at the Chennai consulate. Siddiqui was speaking on the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast.
According to her, as much as 80-90 per cent of the H-1B visas issued to Indian applicants during that period were essentially bogus, backed by fake degrees and forged documents. She alleged that some of the applicants lacked the actual skills that the visa demanded.
For thousands of skilled Indian workers who look at the H-1B programme as a pathway to global opportunities, the recent appointment cancellations only add to their worries as more barriers are erected to immigrate to the United States.
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@Jiangnan brother - take a look at H1B situation above. 90% of H1B applications in India are backed by fake degrees and forged documents.
Why should Indians take the trouble of going to Universities and getting an education if you can forge papers in India and get easy jobs in the US? It's easy to fool Americans... poor sods.
Why should Indians take the trouble of going to Universities and getting an education if you can forge papers in India and get easy jobs in the US? It's easy to fool Americans... poor sods.
Last edited:
Krishna with Flute
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Why US consulates cancelled H-1B appointments for Indians
The expanded vetting policy and subsequent appointment cancellations are part of a long list of controversies surrounding the H-1B programme since Trump took office.
Udit Hinduja
22 December, 2025 01:51 pm IST
https://pkdefense.com/javascript:void(0)
Representative image | (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
Follow Us :
New Delhi: Thousands of Indian H-1B visa holders who returned to India to renew their American work permits have been left stranded, after appointments between 15 and 26 December were abruptly cancelled and rescheduled.
The disruptions come on the heels of an expanded social media vetting policy, part of US President Donald Trumpโs clampdown on immigration. With expired visas, many Indians are stuck at home without the authorization to head back to the United States.
Why is visa vetting taking so long?
As part of the new vetting policy, the State Department has instructed all visa holders to change their social media privacy settings to โpublicโ, allowing the administration to scrutinize their posts and flag any content deemed to be against the interests of the US.
The US State Department explained that officials needed more time to ensure that no applicants โpose a threat to US national security or public safetyโ and that thorough vetting was now being prioritized.
If an H-1B visa holderโs stamp expires and they travel outside the US, they need to obtain a new stamp at a US Consulate before re-entering the country. The new policy has led to visa renewal appointment delays of up to 12 months, with many employees fearful of losing their jobs.
Apple, Google, Microsoft and other tech companies have warned visa-holding employees to avoid international travel. According to memos accessed by Business Insider, a Microsoft associate general counsel for immigration wrote that rescheduling notifications were concentrated in Chennai and Hyderabad.
The memos also contained instructions for employees stranded in foreign countries and recommended that those still in the US change their travel plans.
What other controversies surround the visa programme?
The expanded vetting policy and subsequent appointment cancellations are part of a long list of controversies surrounding the H-1B programme since Trump took office. In September 2025, he announced a $100,000 fee for new applications โ a massive spike from the traditional $2,000 to $5,000 original fee.
In November 2025, former US Representative and economist Dave Brat alleged that the Madras (Chennai) district got 220,000 H-1B visas, despite the statutory US annual cap of 85,000 visas.
โThatโs 2.5 times the cap that Congress has set. Thatโs the scam,โ said Brat, on the War Room podcast hosted by Steve Bannon. โOne of these folks that comes over claiming theyโre skilled โ they are not. Thatโs the fraud. They just took away from your familyโs job, your mortgage, house and all that.โ
He also pointed out that around 71 per cent of all H-1B visas reportedly go to India, while only 12 per cent go to China โ implying that such a lopsided distribution itself should set off alarm bells.
In the same month, former US diplomat, Mahvash Siddiqui, claimed that during her stint from 2005 to 2007, she saw โindustrialized fraudโ in visa approvals at the Chennai consulate. Siddiqui was speaking on the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast.
According to her, as much as 80-90 per cent of the H-1B visas issued to Indian applicants during that period were essentially bogus, backed by fake degrees and forged documents. She alleged that some of the applicants lacked the actual skills that the visa demanded.
For thousands of skilled Indian workers who look at the H-1B programme as a pathway to global opportunities, the recent appointment cancellations only add to their worries as more barriers are erected to immigrate to the United States.
I fully support Trump. Keep doing it.
Indian pigs are just like that. They engage in academic fraud, they brag and lie... It's clear that Indian pigs are the shortest pigs in the world. But Indian pigs always imagine themselves to be close to the height of Pakistanis.
