Trump announces USD 100,000 H1-B visa fee; steep hike to impact Indian professionals in US

new york/washington: in a move that will heavily impact skilled indian professionals in the us, president donald trump has ordered a steep hike in the annual h-1b non-immigrant visa fee to usd 100,000.the presidential proclamation, effective 12.01 am edt on september 21, sparked panic among visa holders and companies, with immigration attorneys advising those outside the us for work or vacation to return within 24 hours to avoid being stranded.trump signed the proclamation “restriction on entry of certain nonimmigrant workers,” citing abuse of the h-1b visa programme as a "national security threat." the decision has shocked indian and american technology companies and created uncertainty for foreign professionals, particularly in the it sector. indians account for about 71 percent of all approved h-1b applications, with china being the next largest group, according to us citizenship and immigration services (uscis).currently, h-1b visa fees range from usd 2,000 to usd 5,000 depending on employer size. the visas are valid for three years and renewable for another three. industry body nasscom said the sudden implementation would disrupt indian tech services and create uncertainty for businesses, professionals, and students.trump's proclamation targets misuse of the h-1b programme by it outsourcing companies, stating that some employers replace rather than supplement american workers. the secretary of homeland security will restrict petitions not accompanied by the usd 100,000 fee for 12 months. exceptions apply if hiring is in the national interest.commerce secretary howard lutnick said the policy aims to admit only “extraordinary” talent and raise over usd 100 billion for the us treasury. experts warned the hike could severely impact indian tech professionals and us tech competitiveness.tata consultancy services, amazon, microsoft, meta, apple, google, infosys, wipro, and tech mahindra are among the top beneficiaries of h-1b visas.