Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Fee Will Choke US Innovation, Turbocharge India: Amitabh Kant

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."

"India’s finest Doctors, engineers, scientists, innovators have an opportunity to contribute to India’s growth & progress towards ViksitBharat. America’s loss will be India’s gain," he further wrote.

The H-1B program makes 85,000 visas available each year for workers with at least a college degree filling roles in specialised occupations.

“We need workers. We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that's what's going to happen,” Trump said, as he signed the proclamation in the Oval Office in the presence of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday.