US Lawmakers Urge Trump To Roll Back H-1B Visa Fee, Warn Move Could Strain India Ties

Several US lawmakers have urged President Donald Trump to withdraw his proclamation on H-1B visas, which imposes a USD 100,000 fee on new petitions, warning that the measure could harm the United States’ technological competitiveness and its strategic relationship with India.

According to PTI, Representatives Jimmy Panetta, Ami Bera, Salud Carbajal, and Julie Johnson wrote to Trump on Thursday, expressing concern over his September 19 proclamation titled ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’. The lawmakers said the order’s provisions, including the steep new fee, would have adverse effects on both the US economy and US-India relations.

“As members of a recent delegation to India, we recognise the importance of the H-1B programme not just to the United States economy, national security, and competitive advantage, but also to our relationship with India, and to the Indian-American communities that we represent,” the letter stated.

According to PTI, they requested that Trump suspend the proclamation and reconsider any policy that would “decrease appropriate access to the H-1B programme.” The lawmakers noted that restricting skilled immigration could weaken the US position in emerging technologies, especially as “China is investing aggressively in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.”

They added that continued access to global talent is essential for maintaining the United States’ innovation ecosystem, strengthening its defence industrial base, and preserving its long-term competitive edge. “In the case of India, the country of origin for 71 per cent of H-1B holders last year, attracting this talent also reinforces our strategic partnership with a key democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific,” the lawmakers said.

Describing the H-1B visa as a “cornerstone” of US competitiveness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the members of Congress cited research showing that H-1B professionals boost innovation, patent output, and business creation, while complementing rather than displacing American workers, PTI reported.

“Indian nationals, who make up the largest share of H-1B recipients, are central to US leadership in information technology and artificial intelligence,” they said, emphasising that many leading American companies were founded or led by former H-1B holders. These professionals, they added, continue to drive job creation and keep the country at the forefront of technological progress.

“Indian-Americans and other H-1B holders also comprise a thriving constituency in each of our districts, enhancing our local economies, contributing to our academic and civic institutions, and strengthening our communities,” the lawmakers noted.

Highlighting that the H-1B visa system supports not just labour needs but also US leadership in industries defining 21st-century global power, they urged Trump to expand the programme to strengthen technological leadership, create American jobs, and safeguard national security.

“The H-1B visa programme is an important part of why the United States continues to lead in technological innovation, and is needed now more than ever with the recent sharp rise of artificial intelligence,” Panetta said, as reported by PTI.

While acknowledging that about 75 per cent of current H-1B recipients are from India, Panetta said the programme should be enhanced and broadened rather than limited to entities able to afford the high new fee. The lawmakers also underscored the visa programme’s importance in maintaining national security and a strong strategic partnership with India, the origin country for 71 per cent of H-1B holders last year.

(With inputs from PTI)