H-1B visa fee hike: India in talks with US, IT bodies, says report; American companies to be hit harder

The government is in discussions with the US administration and the IT industry over the sharp hike in H-1B visa fees, set to take effect on 21 September.American companies will end up getting even a harder hit after the announcement, being primary users of these visas to bring in high skilled workers, sources told PTI on Saturday.Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump, signed a proclamation pushing the annual H-1B visa application fee up to $100,000. Until now, the cost has been between $2,000 and $5,000 depending on the size of the employer and other charges.According to sources, India is in regular discussions with the US government, the IT industry and trade body Nasscom to find a path forward. They also pointed out that US firms, being the biggest users of H-1B visas, are engaging with Washington as well.Figures from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show that for FY25, up to June 30, 2025, Amazon had the highest number of H-1B approvals at 10,044.In the top ten list, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) came second with 5,505 approvals, followed by Microsoft Corp (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Cognizant (2,493), JP Morgan Chase (2,440), Walmart (2,390) and Deloitte Consulting (2,353).Other Indian IT companies also feature in the top 20. Infosys secured 2,004 approvals, LTIMindtree 1,807, and HCL America 1,728.