Donald Trump: End of an Era? Trump Unleashes Radical Visa Overhaul Targeting Indian Professionals

Donald Trump : In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global technology industry and struck at the heart of the American dream for countless skilled professionals, US President Donald Trump has signed a groundbreaking proclamation imposing a staggering $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee on H-1B visa applicants. This dramatic overhaul is a core part of Trump’s latest efforts to crack down on immigration and fundamentally reshape who is allowed to live and work in the United States, with Indian and Chinese tech workers set to face the most significant impact.

“We Need Great Workers”: The Justification for a Radical Change

The Trump administration has positioned this unprecedented fee as a measure to protect American jobs and ensure that only the world’s most elite talent is brought into the country. “We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” President Trump stated during the announcement. He argued the policy is designed to prevent US companies from replacing domestic workers with foreign labor.

This sentiment was echoed by White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who labeled the H-1B program as one of the “most abused visa” systems within the country’s current immigration framework. “What this proclamation will do is raise the fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants to $100,000,” Scharf explained. “This will ensure that the people they’re bringing in are actually very highly skilled and that they’re not replaceable by American workers.”

Understanding the H-1B Visa: Lifeline for a Generation

For decades, the H-1B visa has been the primary gateway for foreign professionals with specialized skills to work in the United States. Created in 1990, it targets individuals with at least a bachelor’s degree in fields experiencing labor shortages, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). This temporary visa, initially granted for three years and extendable to six, has been the backbone of innovation for Silicon Valley giants and a critical pathway for global talent. For those on the long road to permanent residency (a Green Card), the H-1B is a non-negotiable lifeline.

Ground Zero: The Devastating Impact on Indian Aspirants

The new policy lands like a sledgehammer on the aspirations of Indian professionals, who have consistently been the largest recipients of the H-1B visa. According to official government data, a staggering 71% of all approved H-1B beneficiaries last year were from India, with China a distant second at 11.7%.

Tech behemoths like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, which received approvals for thousands of H-1B visas in the first half of 2025 alone, now face a monumental financial decision. The real burden, however, falls on the individuals stuck in the notoriously long Green Card backlog. They are required to renew their H-1B visas periodically, and under this new rule, each renewal could come with a crippling ₹88 lakh price tag—a sum that is unattainable for the vast majority.

A ‘Gold Card’ for the Rich, and Tougher Tests for the Rest

Adding another layer to this immigration overhaul, Trump also introduced a more demanding US citizenship test and a brand-new visa category for the ultra-wealthy.

The citizenship test, which was briefly implemented in 2020 before being scrapped, will now require applicants to answer 12 out of 20 oral questions correctly from a pool of 128 topics on US history and politics—a significantly higher bar.

Simultaneously, Trump unveiled an executive order for a ‘Gold Card’ visa program, with fees set at $1 million for individuals and $2 million for businesses. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated this program is designed to attract “extraordinary people at the very top” who can create businesses and jobs for Americans.

Lutnick sharply criticized the existing employment-based green card system as “illogical,” claiming it brings in “bottom quartile” earners who made only $66,000 a year and were five times more likely to rely on government assistance. “We are going to stop doing that,” he declared, signaling a clear pivot from a skills-based system to one that heavily favors wealth. This new, two-tiered immigration landscape promises a red carpet for millionaires while placing an almost insurmountable financial wall in front of the skilled professionals who have powered America’s tech dominance for a generation.