Donald Trump’s proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee will choke US innovation while turbocharging India’s, according to Amitabh Kant, former G20 Sherpa of India and ex-CEO of NITI Aayog.
On Friday, Trump announced a $100,000 annual application fee for the widely used H-1B visa program, a move that would drastically raise costs for American companies seeking to hire skilled workers from abroad.
Under the new measure, US firms would have to pay $100,000 per year to sponsor each H-1B employee—up sharply from the current fees, which typically range between $1,700 and $4,500.
Reacting on X, Kant wrote, “By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents, innovation and startups to Bangalore and Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon.”
