Key takeaways
- Telangana warns that rising H-1B visa fees could severely impact remittance flows and dependent families.
- Three-fourths of H-1B visa holders are Indian, making them particularly vulnerable to fee increases.
- The $100,000 fee applies only to new applicants, with existing petitions unaffected.
- Telangana seeks urgent diplomatic intervention to protect IT professionals and safeguard economic interests.
- The fee hike may push firms to relocate operations, altering employment patterns and remittance streams.
The sharp rise in H-1B visa fees in the United States is expected to affect Indian professionals and remittance flows. Telangana IT and industries minister Sridhar Babu posted on X that the state could be among the worst hit.
Nearly three-fourths of H-1B holders are Indians. With fees rising to $100,000 for new applicants, families and foreign exchange reserves could face severe consequences, he warned.
The White House on Saturday clarified President Donald Trump’s latest visa policy. It stated that the $100,000 H-1B fee will be a one-time payment, applicable only to new applicants. The order took effect at midnight on September 21. Petitions filed before that date will not be impacted.
Babu expressed concern over the Union government’s lack of response. Telangana, which contributes 8.1% of India’s total remittances, plans to press the Centre for immediate diplomatic intervention. The state seeks exemptions to protect IT professionals and families dependent on overseas income.
State authorities said the fee hike could threaten livelihoods, cut remittance inflows, and create stress for households reliant on foreign earnings.
India’s IT sector is tightly linked to global talent flows. The fee increase may prompt firms to shift operations back to India or to other hubs. This could alter employment patterns and weaken remittance streams.
Telangana’s government said it will formally write to the Union government seeking urgent action to safeguard professionals and the state’s economic interests.
India already hosts about 1,800 global capability centres employing nearly two million people. Major US companies, including Texas Instruments, American Express, Microsoft, Google, JPMorgan, Walmart, Meta, and Ford, run large centres in the country.
