India, Sept. 20 -- US president Donald Trump announced major changes to the H1B 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 H1B visa holder and more than 80% of the average annual salary of all H1B 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.

What changes has Trump made to the H1B visa programme?

The Financial Times describes it in the simplest manner.

"The six-figure ($100,000) application fee - which (US Secretar...