H-1B visa: Fee hike will be America’s loss, India’s gain, says Kant
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Reacting to US President Donald Trump increasing the H-1B visa fee by 10-fold to USD 100,000 from September 21, India’s former NITI Aayog chief Amitabh Kant said on Saturday that the American move may turbocharge India’s growth while choking the US’s spirit of innovation.
Kant highlighted that India’s finest doctors, engineers, and innovators now have an opportunity to accelerate the nation’s growth and progress towards #ViksitBharat by 2047. While the fee aims to attract “highly skilled” individuals to the US, America risks losing out on global talent to India, the media reported.
President Trump’s decision to raise the annual H1-B visa fee from just USD 1,000 to USD 100,000 will choke US innovation and turbocharge India’s by pushing the next wave of labs, patents, and startups to cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, he said.
The Trump administration claimed this fee hike is aimed at ensuring that the people being brought into the country are “actually very highly skilled” and do not replace American workers.
“By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents, innovation and startups to Bangalore and Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon. India’s finest doctors, engineers, scientists, and innovators now have an opportunity to contribute to India’s growth and progress towards #ViksitBharat. America’s loss will be India’s gain,” he said in a post on X.
In a move that could adversely impact Indian professionals on visas in the US, Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H1-B visas to a staggering USD 100,000 annually, the latest in the administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration.
The move is aimed at protecting American workers while ensuring that companies have a pathway to hire truly extraordinary people and bring them to the US. Companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants.
