# H-1B fee plan clears White House review, Indian IT firms cut applications

2026-08-21T04:45:46+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

The Trump administration's proposal to change H-1B petition fees has cleared a White House review, moving it closer to public release. The Department of Homeland Security proposal, listed as RIN 1615-AD20, received clearance from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, as reported by Bloomberg Law. The exact fee amounts and affected petitions are not yet public. The proposal must still go through formal publication and the federal rulemaking process before any changes take effect. Separately, Indian IT companies have drastically reduced fresh H-1B visa applications for US FY27, with eligible registrations falling 38.5% to 211,600, a seven-year low, according to USCIS data. Rediff.com reports the decline is due to higher fees imposed by the Trump administration and a new lottery system favouring higher-salaried employees. Immigration lawyers attribute the drop to these factors and the rise of AI solutions. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys are now focusing on extensions and transfers to avoid new application costs. The fee proposal is part of broader H-1B overhaul efforts by the Trump administration, including a $100,000 fee on certain overseas hires. A court has set aside that fee, and if the situation continues, more companies may file petitions if selected in the next H-1B lottery in March 2027. USCIS has yet to release the final list of selected registrations for FY27.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Both sources report the H-1B developments without any discernible slant, sticking to procedural details, data, and lawyer quotes. The greatandhra.com piece focuses on the fee proposal's regulatory progress, while rediff.com leads with the sharp drop in applications, linking it to higher fees and the lottery change. Neither source takes a pro-government or critical stance, they simply report the sequence of events. The key implication is that the combined effect of higher costs and a weighted lottery is already reshaping Indian IT firms' hiring strategies, pushing them toward local hiring and offshore work. The next concrete step to watch is the publication of the DHS proposed rule and the USCIS final list of selected H-1B registrations for FY27.

## Coverage

Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
- greatandhra.com (neutral report) <https://www.greatandhra.com/articles/special-articles/trumps-new-h-1b-fee-plan-clears-white-house-hurdle/>
  Reports the White House review clearance as a procedural step, with no critical or favourable framing of the Trump administration.
- rediff.com (neutral report) <https://www.rediff.com/business/report/why-are-indian-it-firms-cutting-h-1b-applications/20260821.htm>
  Presents data on application cuts and quotes lawyers, with no editorial slant on the administration's policies.

This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-22T04:20:54+00:00.

Tags: Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump, H-1B visa, US immigration, White House
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