Prof. D. Mukherjee*

In September 2025, the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 annual H-1B fee per worker, a major increase over previous costs of a few thousand dollars. Indians, who constitute the largest H-1B group—78% of 265,777 visas in FY2023 and over 70% in recent years—have relied on this program to migrate as engineers, IT specialists, scientists, and healthcare workers. The H-1B system has supported U.S. innovation, wages, and Indian remittances and knowledge transfer. The new fee may deter or block many prospective migrants and their employers, potentially altering established migration flows.

Trump’s policy under ‘Make America Great Again’ aims to protect U.S. workers by limiting reliance on foreign talent through higher visa fees and stricter regulations, sometimes us

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