The Trump administration's proposed H-1B wage structure aims to increase pay for skilled overseas workers in the US by an average of $14,000, with Level I wages potentially rising to $97,746. This move, coupled with a weighted selection process favouring higher-skilled workers, is intended to curb abuse of visa programmes and ensure parity with American workers, but has already led to a sharp decline in H-1B applications, particularly from Indian IT companies.
The UK has imposed a study visa ban on Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan due to a surge in asylum applications, with further restrictions on skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
US companies, particularly in technology, say they need the visas to fill vacant positions.
New data reveals a significant drop in UK net migration, with Indian students and workers topping the list of those leaving the country.
Indian graduates face tougher English tests, shorter post-study stays, higher costs and stricter settlement rules as Britain rolls out sweeping immigration reforms.
New Zealand has liberalised mobility provisions under the concluded trade pact, enabling Indian students to access longer post-study work visas and allowing 5,000 Indian professionals, including yoga instructors and chefs, to work in the Oceania country.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarifies President Trump's stance on H-1B visas, emphasizing his priority for American workers while acknowledging the need for skilled foreign workers to train them in specialized industries.
The Trump administration has announced a massive increase in H-1B visa fees, imposing a $100,000 annual charge that will fundamentally alter how American companies hire skilled foreign workers, particularly impacting Indian IT professionals who comprise the largest group of beneficiaries.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state agencies and public universities to suspend new H-1B visa petitions through May 2027, a move likely to affect Indian professionals. The order comes amid ongoing debate over skilled immigration and potential impacts on academic research and innovation.
The US has expanded its review of social media and online presence to cover all H-1B speciality occupation workers and their H-4 dependents, the US embassy in India said on December 10.
Nineteen United States states have sued the Trump administration over its 'unlawful' decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, warning that the move will worsen labour shortages in key sectors such as health care, education and technology.
'This idea that inexpensive tech consultants should be coming into this country and bringing their families, I find it just wrong.'
The US President said that companies have to bring people to "get those plants opened, we want you to do that, and we want those people to teach our people how to make computer chips and how to make other things."
The US has replaced random H-1B selection with a wage-weighted lottery and a new $100,000 fee for applications, raising uncertainty for students and junior hires.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk voices strong support for the H1B visa program, highlighting the immense benefit the US has derived from Indian talent and cautioning against shutting it down.
If the Indian government is indeed serious about reversing brain drain, it needs to put much more emphasis on research and innovation, especially in areas that will determine the future, asserts Prosenjit Datta.
India has raised concerns with the United States regarding the cancellation of scheduled H1B visa interviews for Indian applicants due to enhanced vetting measures. Both countries are engaged in discussions to address the disruptions caused by the delays.
'As one of many immigrants at Nvidia, I know the opportunities we've found in America have profoundly shaped our lives.'
'Most of them (H-1Bs) are from one country, India, there's a cottage industry about how all those people make money off this system.'
Germany has almost 60,000 Indian students 'which makes them already today the largest group of international students in Germany'.
India's $280-billion IT industry heads into 2026, balancing visa-related headwinds and global trade uncertainty against its biggest-ever push into artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of global capability centres (GCCs). Heightened scrutiny of the US H-1B visa programme - including a proposed $100,000 fee for new visas and concerns over a potential 25 per cent outsourcing tax - has complicated cross-border delivery for Indian firms, even as companies accelerate efforts to reduce reliance on onsite staffing.
The US has postponed thousands of H-1B visa interviews in India, citing enhanced vetting measures including scrutiny of social media profiles. The delays are impacting applicants who were scheduled for interviews from December 15 onwards, with new dates being pushed back by several months.
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders.
A US Homeland Security official says America will continue using the H-1B visa programme, emphasizing integrity and vetting, while highlighting increased naturalization rates under the Trump administration.
In what is seen as a U-turn, US President Donald Trump appeared to defend the H-1B visa programme to bring talent from across the world, saying a foreign investor cannot pull people off an unemployment line, who haven't worked in five years, and start making missiles.
The US Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's decision to impose a USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, arguing it harms American innovation and competitiveness.
The Donald Trump administration has clarified that the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas does not apply to current visa holders and is a one-time payment only for new petitions.
'We sent just 500 people from India to the US on H-1B visas. There is no dependence on H-1B visas.'
Australia, Canada, US and UK are restricting immigration, but other countries are opening their doors.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant and eight other major corporations have been questioned by US Senators for filing thousands of H-1B skilled labour visa petitions after conducting "mass layoffs" of American employees.
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According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Amazon had 10,044 workers using H-1B visas as of June, 2025. Coming in at the second spot was TCS with 5,505 H-1B visas approved.
'Immigrants have always been America's greatest strength, building prosperity, breakthroughs, and communities that enrich us all. Instead of embracing that strength, Trump is clamping down on every form of immigration, tearing families apart, destabilising businesses, and weakening our economy'
Companies such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech usually have big centres in cities to be in proximity with their clients.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a 'H-1B FAQ' document, released on Sunday, said that the September 19 proclamation took an "important, initial, and incremental step" to reform the H-1B visa programme to curb abuses and protect American workers.
Trump also said that he has also used the H-1B visa programme.
Nasscom on Monday said the US clarification that the H-1B visa fee hike will not affect current visa holders and will apply as a one-time fee only to fresh petitions has helped address the immediate ambiguity surrounding eligibility and timelines.
'It is good to have the H1-B visa option but if tomorrow things happen to change, it is not the end of the world situation.'
In a major shift from his earlier stance, United States-President elect Donald Trump has expressed his support for the H-1B visa programme and acknowledged frequently using it for his own properties, calling it a 'great programme', according to a report by New York Post.
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