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President Donald Trump’s surprise executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B applications has drawn concern from India, the program’s largest source of foreign talent.
H-1B visas are temporary visas that allow US employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers for specialized jobs in the US. Indian citizens have long dominated the ranks of H-1B recipients.
In the 2024 fiscal year, over 70% of H-1B visa approvals — some 280,000 people — went to people whose country of birth was India, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Indian government issued a statement on Saturday in response to the latest changes, saying it could hinder technological progress.
“Skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness, and wealth creation in the United States and India,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
It also said the “measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families.”
The Indian Embassy in the US on Saturday offered help to Indian citizens, publishing a hotline they can call for assistance.
Trump has maintained friendly relations with India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his second term. “I will always be friends with Modi. He is a great Prime Minister,” Trump said at the White House earlier this month.
Modi responded on X at the time, writing, “deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”
