H-1B Visa Fee Hike: Will Trump Admin Extend September 21 Deadline? Several Indians On H-1B Visa Stranded

(MENAFN- Live Mint) H-1B visa fee hike: US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation titled 'Restriction on entry of certain nonimmigrant workers' which increased H-1B visa fee hike to $100,000 for people who are looking to work in the United States.

As a result of this move, several Indians who are on H-1B visas will now be either stranded and have to pay the newly revised fee of $100,000, effective Sunday, 21 September 2025, or will have to enter the United States before the midnight ahead of the deadline.

Also Read | Indians stand to lose the most, says visa consultant as Trump slaps $100,000 fee

However, so far, neither Donald Trump nor the White House have announced any extension to the Sunday, 21 September 2025 deadline for the H-1B visa fee hike.

Are Indians stranded?

Several people took to the social media platform X to share their take on Trump's decision to hike the H-1B visa fees for foreign nations. Many are sharing their thoughts on the issue, while others are empathising with the Indian students and professionals abroad who are directly affected by this federal order.

“It's hard for a GC youth to land a job in India with reservation quotas reaching 70% in some states and when he/she moves to another country for a secure future and career, crisis strikes!” said a social media user named @saffronsentry in their post.

The user also highlighted the current situation of distress and uncertainty of their future in the minds of Indian students in the United States.

Another social media account, @M9USA_, emphasised that thousands of people who want to get their US work visas will be lining up in front of their consulates to beat the deadline.

“What a mess man! Thousands are stuck renewing visas at consulates outside the U.S., and many more are on vacation or visiting family. Imagine their depression now,” they said.

Many others have been tagging the Indian External Affairs Ministry and Minister S Jaishankar on social media, asking them to address the issue and issue an 'urgent advisory' for the people.

“Tonight, thousands of Indians on H1B/H4 visas are stranded here in India. They came for stamping, to meet parents, to attend a wedding. Now, a rule say, if they don't return to US by Sept 20 midnight, their dreams die unless companies pay $100,000. They are in panic, stuck in India. Years of sacrifice, loans worth lakhs, all at risk,” said Nayini Anurag Reddy, urging the Government of India to issue an advisory for the people in distress.

People who have H-1B visas and are in India will likely miss the deadline, as a direct flight from India to the United States will not be able to reach within the timeline given by the Trump administration.

“H-1Bs still in India may have already missed the deadline as there is no way a direct flight from India will get in time,” said Cyrus Mehta in his post on the platform X.

Talking about a potential outcome from this H-1B visa fee hike move, a social media user said an immediate effect which is expected that foreign nations who work in the US with H-1B visa will have to travel less for work purposes.

“One easy to predict outcome: those on US visas will travel less... for work, for conferences etc,” said a social media user named Gergely Orosz on X.

Why did Trump increase H-1B visa fees?

The $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas for high-skill foreign professionals comes as the US government aims to end practices where foreign workers“take jobs from hard-working Americans” and exploit the nation's economy without making meaningful contributions, according to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

The US government claimed that this policy update move comes after an alleged 'abuse' of the H-1B visa programme, causing a“national security threat” to America.

“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour,” according to Trump's order released on Friday.

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