GG News Bureau
Washington DC, 20th Sept: US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee on each H-1B visa application, escalating his renewed crackdown on immigration and sparking alarm in the technology sector that depends heavily on Indian and Chinese talent.
Trump said the steep fee would ensure companies bring in only “very highly skilled” workers who do not replace Americans. “We need workers, great workers, and this ensures that’s what’s going to happen,” he stated at the White House. Staff Secretary Will Scharf called the H-1B program “one of the most abused” visa categories.
Tech Industry Impact
The H-1B visa allows US firms to hire foreign professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Indians account for 71% of all H-1B approvals, with China a distant second at 11.7%, according to US government data. Amazon and AWS alone secured approvals for more than 12,000 visas in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta each received over 5,000.
Analysts warn that the new $100,000 fee—payable each time a visa is sought or renewed—could sharply raise costs and deter hiring. Indian professionals awaiting Green Cards, which can take years, typically renew visas multiple times, multiplying expenses.
Tougher Citizenship Test, New ‘Gold Card’ Visa
Trump also announced a harder US citizenship test—requiring applicants to answer 12 of 20 oral questions from a 128-question pool—reviving a measure scrapped by the Biden administration.
In a parallel move, he unveiled a ‘Gold Card’ visa with a $1 million fee for individuals and $2 million for businesses, aimed at attracting only “extraordinary people at the very top,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. Trump argued the program will “raise billions of dollars to reduce taxes and pay off debt.”
Lutnick criticised the current employment-based green card system as “illogical”, claiming it admits too many lower-income workers.
