New data is showing that H-1B petitions from Indian companies in the US have dropped by 91.2%. This shocking drop comes less than a year after the H-1B fee was announced.
The most impacted firms are Indian. These include Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Tech Mahindra.
Data shows that Infosys H-1B petitions dropped from 8,886 to just 759 this year. Similarly, TCS saw a drop from 5,955 to just 284.
Cognizant filed no H-1B petitions after the fees was announced. They had filed 3,752 entries last year.
This paints a dire picture for Indians. For decades, the H-1B visa has been a symbol of the Indian middle-class dream.
Thousands of applicants from across the country would join the H-1B lottery in hopes of getting a job in America.
However, the companies that filed the highest number of petitions have cut down severely. That dream now seems entirely unattainable for the thousands who have dreamt about it for years.
The only affordable route to H-1B for now is the F-1 OPT to H-1B pipeline. That requires applicants to have finished their education in the US.
However, a newly proposed $103,265 for graduates now aims to close that door as well.
The Indian dream of a life in the US is now completely unaffordable. This is the dark reality many hopeful NRIs now have to face.
