In his latest crackdown on immigration, US President Donald Trump called the H-1B visa program a “national security threat,” saying it hurts American jobs and leaves the country open to outside influence. He signed a proclamation on Thursday that added a $100,000 yearly fee per H-1B worker. This is a huge increase from the few hundred dollars that it costs now to register.
Trump said that businesses have been abusing the program by hiring cheap foreign workers instead of giving priority to American workers. At a White House press conference, he said, “We will no longer let foreign visas replace hardworking Americans.”
Why H-1B is Important
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that lets US companies hire highly skilled foreign workers in IT, engineering, finance, and other specialized areas. Thousands of workers from India apply every year; India is the country that sends the most H-1B visas. Indian experts hired this way are very important to tech giants like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
Effects on Indian Business People
This move could make things very different for Indian workers. Companies will have to pay a huge fee of $100,000 to hire foreign workers, especially if they want to do it on a large scale. What experts think:
Costs are going up for Indian IT companies
TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, which send thousands of workers to the US, may not be able to justify the cost.
Not as many job opportunities: because it costs too much for US companies to hire Indian experts.
Change markets: Indian tech talent may be looking more and more at Canada, the UK, or Europe, where visa rules are friendlier.
Fears and backlash
The tech industry is very angry about the move and says it could hurt US growth. A lot of politicians have also said bad things about the choice, calling it “reckless and short-sighted.” Business leaders are worried that it will make the US less competitive in the world market.
The news has caused worry among Indian families and people who want to move there. Students who want to get an H-1B visa in the future now have to figure out what to do.
Trump says the move is meant to protect American jobs, but some analysts say it could make it easier for other countries to get the kind of talent that used to power Silicon Valley. It looks like the H-1B dream for Indians may now come with a high price and fewer chances.
