The US introduced the H-1B visa in 1990 to allow skilled foreign workers to work in specialty jobs. The visa helped many immigrants achieve the “American Dream.” Starting September 21, the US imposed a $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B applicants, raising concerns worldwide.
Notable H-1B holders include Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; Andrew Ng, AI pioneer; Eric Yuan, Zoom founder; and Jyoti Bansal, founder of AppDynamics. These leaders credit the visa for enabling them to build globally successful companies.
Rajiv Jain of GQG Partners and Jeff Skoll, former eBay president, also benefited from H-1B visas to establish major businesses. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, highlighted delays in receiving his green card despite years on H-1B.
Indians make up around 71% of all H-1B approvals. Experts warn that the new $100,000 fee could drive highly skilled talent away, affecting US innovation. Sectors like AI, cloud computing, and biotechnology may feel the impact, as companies rely on global expertise to remain competitive.
The move has sparked debates about the US’s ability to attract and retain top global talent.
