The American Dream Dilemma

The H-1B visa fee hike is just the latest shake-up in a long series of Trump-era changes that have rattled Indian students in the US over the past few months

- By PANKTI MEHTA KADAKIA

WHEN PRATHAM JAIN graduated in May with a master’s in business and science from a reputable US university, job-hunting wasn't the main hurdle.

“In the beginning, my focus was on classes, internships and making the most of the campus life. But as graduation got closer,” he says, “the visa conversation started to overshadow everything.”

US President Donald Trump returned to office in January, and immediately began to tighten immigration policies. In the past few months, the US has revoked more than 6,000 student visas (later restored by law), begun social media vetting for student applicants, and, most recently, announced big changes to the H-1B or employment visa, which most Indians graduating from US universities hope to receive eventually.

In the past week, the US has slapped on a $100,000 onetime fee for new applicants; earlier, the H-1B visa fees ranged from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on company size and processing speed, according to the Immigration Law Group.

Trump has also proposed switching the current H-1B lottery system for a wage-based approach; those in the highest wage category would enter the pool four times, and those in the lowest, only once. This means that entry-level employees, largely recent graduates, have fewer chances of gaining the golden ticket.

“Every international student I know keeps one eye on their grades and the other on Washington, because even a small policy change can completely reshape your career path,” Jain says. “It’s almost like earning a second degree here, one in navigating immigration paperwork, deadlines and constantly changing policies.”

In the two years that Jain has been in the US, he feels a tangible shift. “Back then, the path ahead felt clear: Complete my degree, find a job, have my employer file for an H-1B and continue to grow,” he adds. “In just the past few months, though, that sense of certainty has disappeared. Nothing feels settled anymore.”