**Has Trump’s Recent Order Rendered the H-1B Visa Program Ineffective?**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 21, 2025, 06:24 PM*
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**What’s the Story?**
US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation significantly increasing the fee for H-1B visas to $100,000. This change takes effect immediately and is expected to have a major impact on global hiring practices.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that this is a one-time fee, not an annual charge. Therefore, H-1B visa holders will not have to pay again for re-entry into the US.
So, does this mean the H-1B visa program is now practically ineffective? Let’s explore the implications.
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**Hiring Trends: Rise in Remote Hiring**
The steep increase in H-1B visa fees may encourage a rise in remote hiring, especially from India. Ritu Sethi, Partner at ABC Consultants, notes that this change provides Indian tech professionals with more opportunities to work for multinational firms remotely.
However, she also warns that the higher costs associated with H-1B visas could limit the number of Indians accepting onsite roles in US-based organizations.
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**Business Strategy: Adoption of Hybrid Models**
Kapil Joshi, CEO of IT Staffing at Quess Corp, predicts that businesses will increasingly adopt hybrid working models. These strategies involve retaining client-facing roles locally in the US, while centralizing back-end work in India and other global talent hubs.
Joshi emphasizes the importance of investing in robust collaboration tools, scaling global capability centers, and ensuring remote teams feel fully integrated into their organizations to maintain productivity and engagement.
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**Impact Assessment: Possible Reverse Brain Drain**
The new visa fee structure could have significant consequences for India’s tech talent pool. Siddhartha Nigam, Partner and Global Markets and US Corridor Leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, points out that nearly 70% of H-1B visa holders are Indian nationals.
He explains that companies may need to rethink their offshore-onshore resource balance, and this shift could trigger a reverse brain drain, with senior Indian professionals opting to return home rather than pursue costly US visas.
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**Conclusion**
While the H-1B program remains operational, President Trump’s substantial fee hike introduces challenges that may reshape global tech hiring strategies. Remote work and hybrid models appear poised to grow, as organizations adapt to these new costs. It remains to be seen how this policy will influence the future movement of international tech talent.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/world/effect-of-trump-s-recent-order-on-h-1b-visa-program/story
