H-1B Fee Hike To USD 100,000 Will Hit US More Than India: GTRI

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Sep 22 (KNN) The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) on Sunday said that US President Donald Trump's decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000 per worker is likely to have a greater impact on the United States than on India.

According to GTRI, Indian IT firms already employ 50–80 percent local staff in the US, amounting to around 100,000 Americans.

“The measure will not create many new jobs. Instead, it will make hiring Indians on-site more expensive than employing locals,” the think tank said.

The analysis noted that an IT manager with five years of experience earns USD 120,000–150,000 in the US, compared with roughly 40 percent less on H-1B visas and 80 percent less in India.

GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said,“Faced with this huge fee, firms will accelerate offshoring, doing more work remotely from India. That means fewer H-1B petitions, less local hiring, higher project costs for US clients, and slower innovation.”

Srivastava added that India could leverage the returning talent to build domestic capacity in software, cloud, and cybersecurity, turning a US protectionist step into a long-term boost for India's digital Swaraj Mission.

The White House clarified on Saturday that the USD 100,000 H-1B fee would apply only to new applicants.

The move, signed into law on September 19, affects visas used by companies to hire foreign workers, including those from India, to live and work in the United States.

(KNN Bureau)

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