Tech Giants Rally for H-1B Holders as Nasscom Flags Impact on Indian IT Sector

Fast Summary

• Proclamation Signed: U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing an annual $1,00,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, effective September 21, 2025.
• National Security Rationale: The move was justified as protecting American workers and addressing potential abuse of the H-1B program.
• Immediate Return Urged: Immigration attorneys have advised H-1B holders outside the U.S. to return within 24 hours to avoid being stranded following implementation deadlines.
• Tech Giants & Indian Companies: Amazon and TCS emerged as top beneficiaries of H-1B visas in mid-2025 with over 10,000 and 5,500 approvals respectively; Microsoft (5,189), meta (5,123), Infosys (2,004), among others also listed.
• Business Disruptions Noted by Nasscom: Business continuity risks were highlighted for Indian IT firms due to short notice of policy change; however,Nasscom noted reduced reliance on such visas in recent years due to local hiring efforts.
• Reactions from Experts:

– Mohandas Pai noted that exorbitant fees might slow fresh applications while accelerating offshoring trends.
– Amitabh Kant predicted a shift in global innovation hubs toward India’s cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
– U.S lawmakers criticized the decision as “reckless,” with concerns over its negative impact on America’s tech workforce and economy.- IDP Education labeled it premature to predict long-term effects but anticipated reevaluation by students pursuing STEM studies in the U.S.

For further details: Read More

Indian Opinion Analysis

The $1,00,000 fee hike for H‑1B visas represents both an immediate disruption for businesses relying on foreign talent and a potential economic realignment opportunity. This decision disproportionately impacts highly skilled Indian professionals who are prevalent among the top applicants annually-it introduces cost barriers not merely for individuals but also enterprises reliant on their services globally.

While this measure appears aimed at curbing perceived abuses of visa programs or prioritizing domestic employment within the united States’ borders broadly politicized rhetoric diminishes collaborative ecosystems symbiotic value between countries professionally intertwined across innovation pipelines vital frontier industries like emerging Artificial Intelligence fields unlikely benefit isolatory policy trends example flexibly adapting local team formations αίρε rollback tendencies reminders democratic accountability worldwide proactive safeguard provisionsroring% uncertainty braced India’s gradual momentum longer.setup simplifying