**Trump’s H-1B Fee Hike Sparks Hilarious Memes on Social Media**
*By Akash Pandey | Sep 20, 2025, 06:01 PM*
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**The Story**
The recent hike in H-1B visa fees announced by US President Donald Trump has triggered a wave of memes across social media platforms. Under the new policy, companies are required to pay an annual fee of $100,000 (approximately 90 lakh INR) for each H-1B visa application. This steep increase has left tech giants like Microsoft and Meta worried, prompting many to ask their visa-holding employees to return to the US before the September 21 deadline set by the administration.
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**Online Reaction: Memes Galore**
Social media users have turned the anxiety surrounding the fee hike into humor by sharing an array of memes. These include iconic Bollywood scenes such as one from *Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge*, featuring Amrish Puri humorously welcoming NRIs back to India. Others joke about job interviews taking place in unlikely locations like Mangolpuri Industrial Area. This meme fest has become a creative outlet as people cope with the uncertainty caused by the new policy.
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**H-1B Holders’ Rush Humorously Mocked**
The new order restricts entry into the US for workers whose visa petitions are not accompanied by the $100,000 fee, effective from September 21. Immigration attorneys warn that many H-1B holders still in India may have already missed the deadline due to travel restrictions, adding to the urgency and confusion.
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**Professional Implications: Indian Professionals Hit Hardest**
The H-1B visa program allows US companies to hire foreign workers for specialized, high-skilled roles. With this new annual fee, employers sponsoring foreign workers must pay an unprecedented $100,000 per visa. Indian professionals, who make up the largest segment of H-1B visa holders in fields like technology, consulting, and healthcare, are likely to be impacted the most.
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**Sector Impact: Critics Raise Concerns**
Critics argue that this policy could be a major setback for the US tech industry, which heavily relies on skilled workers from countries including India and China. White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf emphasized that the proclamation aims to ensure that only highly specialized workers—those who cannot be replaced by American employees—are brought into the US. However, detractors warn that this could reduce opportunities for junior or entry-level roles in key sectors.
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**Hiring Changes: Startups and Small Firms May Struggle**
The exorbitant fee hike may provoke discussions about visa lottery reforms and wage-based prioritization, steering visa access toward higher-paid, highly skilled positions. Startups and smaller companies might feel the brunt of this policy shift the most, as they are less able to absorb the additional financial burden, potentially limiting their capacity to hire new international talent.
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*Stay tuned for more updates on immigration policies and their impact on global talent mobility.*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/internet-reacts-to-trump-s-h-1b-fee-hike-with-viral-memes/story
