India, Sept. 22 -- Reshma Elizabath has waited over two years for her career-defining opportunity: a three-year stint at her company's US headquarters. Now the IT professional from Pandalur in the Nilgiris sits in her Velachery office, uncertain whether her firm will shoulder Trump's new $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

"I'm confused. Will my company still send me or ask me to contribute? I honestly don't know," she said, reflecting the unease gripping thousands of IT workers caught in the policy crossfire.

While the White House clarified Monday that existing visa holders need not rush back to America - or stay put --- and the fee applies only to future applications, the long-term implications for India's technology sector and the families banki...