India, Sept. 23 -- The US government is considering further changes to the H-1B visa programme, including plans to raise wage eligibility levels for foreign workers and to prioritise highly paid professionals in the visa lottery, after introducing a $100,000 fee for new petitions from September 21.

These proposed reforms, which were floated in an advisory by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are expected to further restrict high-skilled immigration to the United States. Indian professionals, who account for over 70% of approved H-1B visa petitions, will be disproportionately affected by the changes. These changes will also increase pressure on Indian IT services companies that derive a large share of their revenue from the...