Setback for Indian nationals; US President Trump to hike H-1B visa fee to Rs one crore

NEW DELHI: The United States is reportedly planning to increase the H-1B visa fee rates. The US Department of Homeland Security issued a proposal to introduce new fees for the H-1B visa and the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.

The H-1B visa fee will be increased to $1,03,265 (Rs. 98.9 lakh). It was published in the US Federal Register on Monday. A similar fee was introduced last year, but later blocked following court intervention. If implemented, the new proposal is likely to significantly increase the cost of working in the US for foreign nationals, the cost of students entering the workforce after completing their university studies, and the cost of employers sponsoring H-1B employees, said Fragomen, a corporate immigration services firm.

The new decision will hit Indian nationals the hardest. More than 70 per cent of H-1B visa beneficiaries are Indians. In 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 3,99,402 visa applications. Of these, 71 per cent were of Indian origin.