New Delhi, Sept. 27 -- US President Donald Trump has accused Indians of abusing the H-1B visa system and announced a one-time $100,000 fee on new visas from next year, a nearly 100-fold jump from the current level. The visa numbers, however, tell another story about recent years.

Data from the US Bureau of Consular Affairs shows that in 2024 (October-September), Indians accounted for 68.6% of the 219,659 H-1B visas issued, their lowest share in a decade.

In 2024, Indians received 150,647 H-1B visas and 18,578 L-1 visas in the year ended September 2024, accounting for 68.6% and 25.9% of these work visas issued by the US government, according to a note by Morgan Stanley on 21 September.

A Mint analysis shows that the percentage of H-1B v...