India warns that American H-1B visa costs will have “humanitarian consequences”

The Indian government has said that new fees of $ 100,000 (£ 74,000) for candidates for the research of qualified workers will have “humanitarian consequences”.

President Donald Trump ordered new costs for H-1B visa requests on Friday, which is more than 60 times the amount currently invoiced, to enter into force on September 21.

India workers receive the most qualified visas from the program by far, with just over 70% of the published people.

Some American technological companies have advised employees of H-1B visa to stay in the United States or, if they were outside the country, to try to come back immediately. On Saturday, the White House then specified that the costs will not apply to current visas or renewal requests.

A declaration from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday that the costs would have humanitarian consequences “through the disruption caused by families”.

The Indian government “hopes that these disturbances can be approached appropriately by the American authorities,” he also said.

The exchange of qualified workers has “greatly contributed” to the two nations, according to the press release, adding: “Political decision -makers will therefore assess the recent steps taking into account mutual advantages, which include solid links from people to the person between the two countries. “”

The declaration has not provided details on any potential response from the Indian government.

Since Trump imposed punishing prices on India last month for the purchase of Russian oil, the two countries were locked in tense trade negotiations. The United States has exported $ 41.5 billion in India to India in 2024 and imported more than $ 87.3 billion, according to the office of the American commercial representative.

On Saturday, the Indian government said that its Minister of Commerce, Piyush Goyal, would go to the United States on Monday for commercial talks, according to Reuters.

Make such a major change in the H-1B program in such a narrow window of “considerable uncertainty for businesses, professionals and students around the world,” said the first commercial body in India Nasscom.

By announcing the planned change, the White House said that visas were not used as planned, citing data which, according to him, some visas are “abused” to compromise American wages and outsource computer jobs.

But the order allows “exemptions on a case -by -case basis if in the national interest,” said the White House.

The qualified visa route aims to allow companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers with “highly specialized knowledge”.

Just under 400,000 H-1B visas were approved in 2024, including around 260,000 renewals, according to Pew Research Center based in the United States.

Data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show that in the first half of 2025, Amazon received the most H-1B visa approvals, with 10,044.

In the second, the Indian Technology Company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), with 5,505.

Trump’s proclamation applies to requests submitted for workers currently outside the United States, which must be “accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $ 100,000” (approximately 8.8 million Indian rupees). Currently, administrative costs for a request total $ 1,500.

Amazon, Microsoft and JP Morgan were among the companies to advise employees with H-1B visas to stay in the United States, and for those outside the United States to try to return before the deadline, according to Reuters.

Notices seemed to be precaution, since the order did not say that H-1B visa holders would be prohibited from entering the country or invoicing new costs if they were temporarily outside the country, after Sunday.

According to an internal opinion, given by Business Insider, Amazon said that employees unable to return to the United States before the order takes effect should avoid trying to return to us “until other orientations are provided”.