U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that makes employers pay a $100,000 fee for every H-1B worker. This move is being seen as a death blow to the Indian community in America, especially Telugu immigrants who are on H-1B visas or studying in the U.S. on F-1 visas. Many of these students went abroad after taking huge loans, pledging their family properties to banks.
#H1B at $100K is daylight robbery!
Feeling sorry for the Indian students and others who depend on this.
Words can’t describe their depression. pic.twitter.com/gXdNAZeJuO
ADVERTISEMENT— M9 USA (@M9USA_) September 19, 2025
Trump has effectively killed the H-1B program without openly saying it. If someone went to India for visa stamping now, their company must pay $100,000 before they can return and they have only one day left as per this order. Employers have to pay this amount within 24 hours of the worker re-entering the U.S.
The situation is already creating chaos. Thousands of people are stuck outside the U.S. waiting for visa renewals at consulates, while many more are simply visiting family or on vacation. For them, this sudden fee brings fear, confusion, and depression.
The only relief is that this $100,000 charge will not apply to H-1B transfers between companies. Still, the impact is massive. Indians make up around 70 percent of all H-1B holders, followed by Chinese workers, who are around 11 percent according to government data.
This move is expected to hit Indian IT professionals the hardest, making their American dream even more uncertain.
