New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- The United States has announced a drastic change to its H-1B visa programme under President Donald Trump. A proclamation signed on 19 September 2025 mandates that employers must now pay an annual fee of $100,000 for each H-1B petition. The fee applies to both new applications and those filed from outside the United States.

The move has sparked immediate concern in the technology sector. The charge, payable every year an H-1B worker remains in the US, is expected to price out smaller firms and start-ups, leaving only the largest technology companies able to shoulder such costs. Analysts warn this could sharply reduce entry-level opportunities for international graduates and slow the inflow of foreign talent that has...