Now Reading: Indian IT body asks US to weigh H-1B visa benefits under Trump fee plan
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Indian IT body asks US to weigh H-1B visa benefits under Trump fee plan
Indian IT body asks US to weigh H-1B visa benefits under Trump fee plan
India's main IT industry body has urged the US government to consider the economic benefits of H-1B visa holders before imposing steep fee increases proposed by former president Donald Trump. The National…
India's main IT industry body has urged the US government to consider the economic benefits of H-1B visa holders before imposing steep fee increases proposed by former president Donald Trump. The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said a $10,000 fee per visa would harm innovation and raise costs for American companies, not just Indian outsourcers.
The H-1B visa programme allows US firms to hire skilled foreign workers, with Indian technology companies among the largest users. Trump, who is again running for president, had proposed raising the filing fee for certain H-1B petitions more than tenfold during his first term, though the plan was never fully implemented. Nasscom's statement comes as Indian IT firms brace for potential renewed restrictions if Trump returns to office.
The industry body is expected to submit formal comments to the US State Department during the public consultation period that follows any official proposal of a fee increase.
Indian Opinion Analysis
H-1B visas are critical to Indian IT firms, which rely on them to place engineers with US clients on short-term projects. A $10,000 visa fee would more than double the cost per employee for many mid-sized firms, piling pressure on margins already squeezed by rising onsite wages. The next step is the US State Department's rulemaking process: any fee increase would be published as a proposed rule, followed by a public comment period that usually lasts 60 days. Indian companies and the industry body will lobby during that window. The final impact will be clearer once the proposed rule's exact fee structure and scope are released.
Source: reuters.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
