'Not Aimed At Indians': US Envoy Sergio Gor Clarifies H-1B Visa Changes Amid Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Last Updated:June 28, 2026, 07:51 IST

The H-1B visa continues to be the main route for Indian professionals seeking high-skilled jobs in the United States.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said recent changes to the H-1B visa programme under the Trump administration should not be seen as being aimed specifically at India, stressing that the review was part of a broader overhaul of the US immigration system.

Addressing concerns over the H-1B visa process and reports of rising hate crimes in the United States, Gor said, “I don’t think the big item to remember on that is, this is not targeted at India. The United States had to take stock of the whole immigration system, every kind of visa. Unfortunately, under previous administrations, our borders were wide open. That’s something the President wanted to fix on day one."

Drawing a parallel with India’s stance on illegal migration, he said, “It’s actually something the Prime Minister relates to. When I listen to the Prime Minister speaking in India, he talks about no illegal migrants. We 100% agree with that."

Reiterating that India was not being singled out, Gor added, “And so, none of this is targeted at India necessarily. It’s one of the things that we needed to take stock of. We want to know who’s coming here from all over the world, right? And, of course, India has a massive population, so you’re impacted by it, but things continue."

He also underlined that visa services at the US Embassy in India remain unaffected. “I’ll tell you this: our embassy is one of the busiest embassies in the world as it relates to visas, as you know. So, the people-to-people ties will continue, trade will continue, commerce will continue."

Speaking about the broader India-US partnership, Gor said, “India exports more to the United States than almost any other country in the world. India does more defence exercises with the United States than with any other country in the world. So, we have incredible things happening, and we’ll continue building on that."

The H-1B visa continues to be the main route for Indian professionals seeking high-skilled jobs in the United States.

According to a recent US Department of Homeland Security report on H-1B workers, “Of the H-1B petitions approved in FY 2025, 70 per cent were for beneficiaries whose country of birth was India, indicating a high concentration of approvals in a single foreign labour market. The second most common country of birth was China, accounting for approximately 12 per cent of all beneficiaries."

Last year, the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications and proposed replacing the lottery-based selection system with a weighted process. A US court later struck down the fee, ruling that it amounted to an unauthorised tax. The ruling is expected to be appealed, leaving the future of the programme uncertain.

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