"Indian aerospace engineering student Sudhanva Kashyap thought he had mapped out everything it would take to get to the United States, only to have his plans upended by Washington's sudden and expensive change to its skilled worker visas. Friday's changes to the prized H-1B visas, which included a new $100,000 fee, rattled the tech industry and left US companies scrambling to figure out the implications."
"Hasty clarifications from the White House that the new charge would be a one-off payment rather than the annual fee announced by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday only added to the uncertainty. The fee change rattled students like Kashyap, who hoped to get into an American university and from there the US jobs market. Kashyap, a 21-year-old from the southern Indian tech hub of Bengaluru, had pictured himself going to a top-tier American university, with Stanford his goal."
"H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialised skills - such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers - to work in the United States, initially for three years but extendable to six. The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system, with India accounting for around three-quarters of the recipients. Lutnick detailed the new measure as he stood beside Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where the US president"
Washington introduced a sudden change to H-1B visa fees that included a new $100,000 charge, prompting immediate industry and applicant concern. White House clarifications labeled the charge a one-off payment rather than an annual levy, but mixed messaging heightened uncertainty for employers and prospective visa holders. The fee increase unsettled international students, including Indian applicants who view American universities as pathways into the US job market. Several firms advised H-1B employees against international travel while assessing impacts, and some travelers disembarked mid-journey to avoid potential re-entry problems. The United States issues 85,000 H-1B visas annually, with India receiving about three-quarters.
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