The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday issued an official statement after US President Donald Trump’s new executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications. The Ministry said that it is studying the implications of the step on Indian industry.

“This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. The government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities,” the MEA’s statement read.

Full statement by the government on new H-1B Visa rule

US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, unveiling one of his administration’s toughest crackdowns yet on the H-1B visa programme. Effective September 21, the new rules impose a steep $100,000 annual fee on H-1B applications, alongside stricter compliance requirements for employers.

The White House framed the move as a corrective against “systemic abuse” of the visa programme, long criticised by US policymakers for allegedly displacing local jobs. However, industry leaders warn the measure could cripple America’s tech talent pipeline, given the sector’s heavy reliance on skilled foreign workers. Currently, over 70% of all H-1B visa holders are Indians. Roughly 300,000 Indian professionals, primarily in the tech sector, hold H-1B visas in the United States.