Indian government officials expressed full-blown outrage over a Trump administration proclamation that dramatically hikes the fee for securing H-1B visas.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday, slapping a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, making it incredibly difficult for U.S.-based employers to favor foreign nationals over American workers. The Indian government, which benefits from the H-1B visa program more than any other country, quickly denounced the move and called for the Trump administration to address its concerns.
“The executive orders of President of America had come as a shocker to all,” Revanth Reddy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Telangana, said in a public statement following the order. “This is totally unacceptable in the historical context of Indo-American relationships.”
“It is for the Indian Government to immediately set up a mechanism to resolve this amicably keeping the interests of our tech population and skilled workers, who have served America for so long,” Reddy continued. “The suffering for our Telugu techies will be unimaginable.”
Other Indian government officials lined up to speak against the new exorbitant fee.
“The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a public statement. “This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities.”
The day after Trump signed the executive order, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal suggested the U.S. was “a little afraid of our talent,” according to the Times of India.
Established by Congress in 1990, the H-1B program has become an incredibly popular pathway into the U.S. for foreign nationals working in skilled occupations, with new visas capped at 85,000 a year and a lottery system that decides which foreigners obtain them, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). H-1B visa holders can eventually become eligible to apply for legal permanent residence, allowing them to stay in the country indefinitely.
However, the program has long been criticized for suppressing wages, with companies allegedly favoring foreign nationals willing to work for cheaper salaries rather than hiring American workers.
The program is popular with American tech companies, with Amazon, Meta and Apple currently employing thousands of H-1B workers, according to USCIS. Former top Trump ally Elon Musk has also spoken in favor of the H-1B program, publicly arguing that a slowdown in skilled immigration could stymie American innovation. Trump had also previously voiced support for the program before re-entering the White House.
India stands as the biggest beneficiary of the program by far, with a recent Pew survey finding that more than 70% of H-1B visa holders are Indian nationals. Chinese citizens, the second-highest beneficiaries, only make up 12% of the program.
The country’s domination of the program also coincides with the country consistently ranking as one of the top recipients of remittances, with Indian workers in the U.S. sending billions back to their home country every year.
Following confusion over details, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly stated that the proclamation only applies to new H-1B visas, and those who already hold the visa and are outside the U.S. would not be charged $100,000 to re-enter. The new fee, which officially took effect on Sunday, is set to expire within a year unless the Trump administration decides to renew it.
Champions of the American workforce celebrated the order and expressed hope that the move is the first step in supporting American workers.
“The big positive is it moved the Overton Window further to our side,” Kevin Lynn, founder of U.S. Tech Workers, a group that advocates on behalf of American citizens in the tech industry, said to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“While it was disappointing to learn upon further clarification that the proclamation doesn’t impact H-1Bs that have been currently issued, there is a silver lining in that it does include requiring DOL [Department of Labor] and DHS [Department of Homeland Security] to use proper rule making procedures to raise the prevailing wage levels and to bring about a change wherein the highest paid alien workers v. ordinary workers filling entry level positions, will be prioritized — essentially ending the lottery,” Lynn stated.
The U.S. Tech Workers founder added that, since the program was first legislated into existence, it is up to lawmakers to enact permanent change.
“For far too long, companies have been abusing this guestworker program,” Dale Wilcox, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a public statement provided to the DCNF. “The new fee is significant enough to discourage employers who merely want to hire lower wage foreign workers, but not so prohibitive that it will prevent them from petitioning for workers whose skills are truly needed.”
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