It may take five years to rebuild new lives in India, but it will be a stronger one, said Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu to Indians hit by the recent H-1B visa fee order of the Donald Trump administration. The US government imposed a $100,000 fee on renewal and new H-1B visas, severely hitting the ‘American dream’ of many, especially those working in specialised fields like information technology, STEM and others. 

The order caused panic among the companies, which immediately asked their employees outside the US to return before the September 21 deadline. However, an hours late confirmation from the White House that the order does not affect the existing H-1B visa holders came as a breather. But the larger concern remained the same, what about working in the US with big tech and IT companies?

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Zoho founder’s ‘make the bold move’ message

The former CEO of Zoho, Sridhar Vembu took to X to boost the morale of fellow Indians who might be affected by a shattered dream after the H-1B visa fee hike. He gave an example of how Sindhis built their business empire in India from scratch, and asked the Indians to do the same by making a “bold move”.

“I have heard so many accounts from Sindhi friends about how their families had to leave everything and come to India during partition. They rebuilt their lives and Sindhis have done well in India,” Vembu said on X.

“I am sad to say this, but for Indians on an H1-B visa in America, this may be that time,” he added. Urging them to “come back home”, the Zoho founder said it might take them five years to rebuild their lives, but once done, “it will make you stronger”.

“Do not live in fear. Make the  bold move. You will do well,” he concluded.

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What does the order say?

The $100,000 fee hike order states that the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been “deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor”. 

“The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security.  Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens, while at the same time making it more difficult to attract and retain the highest skilled subset of temporary workers, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields,” it said.

The White House said the “abuse” of the H-1B visa program has made it even more challenging for (US) college graduates trying to find IT jobs, allowing employers to hire foreign workers at a significant discount to American workers.  “The abuse of the H-1B program is also a national security threat,” it added.

Hence, the entry into the United States of “aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation  is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000”.

The restriction, the order stated, shall expire, absent extension, 12 months after the effective date of this proclamation – which is 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025.