Is this the end of H-1B visa programme?

For somebody seeking their first employment under the H-IB visa, the application fee is now more than the median annual wage, which means it is extremely unlikely that the applications will even be made

- Abhishek Jha, Sreedev Krishna Kumar and Roshan Kishore

US president Donald Trump announced major changes to the H-IB visa programme on Friday. An HT analysis shows that it amounts to effectively killing the programme. The new visa fees of $100,000 announced by Trump is more than the median annual salary of a fresh H-1B visa holder and more than 80% of the average annual salary of all H-IB visa holders. As the biggest beneficiary of the programme, India stands to lose the most. Perhaps more than the 50% tariffs Trump has put on Indian exports. This is yet another debilitating blow to Indo-US relations: over 28 years, Indians have received 60% of all H-1B visas issued.

What changes has President Trump made to the H-1B visa programme?

The Financial Times describes it in the simplest manner.

“The six-figure ($100,000) application fee — which (US Secretary of Commerce Howard) Lutnick said employers would have to pay annually — marks a departure for the government, which currently charges $215 to register for an H-IB visa lottery and an additional $780 for employers that sponsor visa applicants. A White House executive order states that the payment is an application fee and does not mention an annual payment”.

In addition to the H-IBs, the Trump administration has also announced a gold-card visa scheme where individuals and corporations can pay $1 million and $2 million to get a US visa. In rupee terms this is almost 29 crore and 28 crore for a visa.

What could the new programme mean for H-1B visas and for the employees seeking them?

Trump has just announced it. He often changes his mind. But there is good reason to believe that the new H-IB visa regime is tantamount to killing the programme.