Trump orders tighter H-1B scrutiny, extends USD 100,000 fee

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing US agencies to scrutinise H-1B visa applications more closely, especially where sponsoring employers have recently laid off American workers. The order requires the departments of State, Labor and Homeland Security to share data on wages, employment and qualifications. The White House says the measure targets companies that replace US employees with lower-paid foreign labour, a practice Trump called 'systematic abuse' of the H-1B programme.

The order does not abolish the H-1B visa or impose a blanket ban on Indian workers, The Federal reports. Over 70 per cent of H-1B beneficiaries enter from India. Separately, the administration extended a USD 100,000 fee for certain new H-1B applications for another year, until September 2027, despite a federal judge striking it down in June. The Times of India notes that the order does not specify how agencies will define 'similarly situated' workers, and implementation guidance is still expected.

A Reddit post from an Indian Vice President at a US bank, reported by M9 News, claims they were asked to nominate four Indian H-1B holders for layoffs, highlighting anxiety among visa holders amid the crackdown.