America's loss will be India's gain: Kant on $100,000 H-1B visa fee

Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog and former G20 sherpa, Amitabh Kant, on Saturday said that US President Donald Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee will choke US innovation and support India's growth.

In an X post, Kant said, "Donald Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee will choke US innovation and turbocharge India’s. By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents, innovation, and startups to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurgaon."

Kant highlighted that India has some of the finest innovators and professionals who can contribute to the country's growth. "India’s finest doctors, engineers, scientists, and innovators have an opportunity to contribute to India’s growth and progress towards #ViksitBharat. America’s loss will be India’s gain," he said.

US asks firms to pay $100,000 for H-1B visas

Trump on Friday signed an executive order requiring companies to pay $100,000 annually for each H-1B visa worker, along with stricter wage requirements, to curb programme abuse and prioritise hiring American workers. The policy applies to new and renewal applications and introduces a 'gold card' programme for wealthy investors, offering expedited visas for up to $2 million.

India, China to be most impacted

Tech companies dependent on visas from India and China anticipate significant disruptions, as the change aims to generate revenue and encourage domestic training, while critics highlight potential losses in innovation and risks of offshoring.

India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71 per cent of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7 per cent, according to Reuters.

In the first half of 2025, Amazon.com and its cloud-computing unit, Amazon Web Services, had received approval for more than 12,000 H-1B visas, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each.

Move to hurt healthcare, tech sectors in US

Under the new rules, no H-1B visa holder will be able to enter the US starting September 21, including current visa holders, unless they pay $100K to enter. The move is likely to impact America's healthcare, higher education, and technology sectors if it is not challenged in court.

According to a Reuters report, the number of foreign science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers in the US more than doubled between 2000 and 2019 to nearly 2.5 million, even as overall STEM employment only increased 44.5 per cent during that time.