US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa programme should not be seen as a move targeted at Indians, even as the new rules have raised concerns among Indian professionals, students and technology companies.

Speaking to news agency IANS, Gor said the H-1B review was part of a wider immigration overhaul by Washington.

“The H-1B exercise forms part of the administration’s broader immigration reforms. It should not be interpreted as something aimed specifically at Indians,” Gor said.

The clarification comes at a time when India is closely tracking changes to the H-1B route. The visa is one of the most important pathways used by US employers to hire skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations, especially in technology and engineering roles.

Indians remain the largest group affected by any major H-1B policy shift. According to USCIS data for FY25, the largest share of approved H-1B petitions were for beneficiaries whose country of birth was India.

What has changed in H-1B

The biggest change is in the selection process for cap-subject H-1B visas.

For the FY27 cap season, the US has moved from a straight random lottery to a wage-weighted selection system. This means registrations linked to higher-paid jobs get greater weight in the selection pool. Entry-level and lower-wage jobs get lower odds.

The stated aim is to push the programme towards higher-skilled and higher-paid workers. 

A second flashpoint is the $100,000 payment requirement announced last year for certain new H-1B petitions. A US federal district court in Massachusetts vacated the policy implementing the fee earlier this month, calling it unlawful. 

However, the matter remains under litigation, and subsequent court proceedings have kept employers and applicants cautious about its final status.

Why Indians are watching closely

The impact of the new system is likely to be uneven.

Senior professionals with higher salaries, US advanced degrees or niche skills may continue to find opportunities. But recent graduates, entry-level workers and those dependent on large-volume outsourcing-led hiring may face a tougher route.

FE earlier reported, citing USCIS data, that properly submitted H-1B registrations fell 38.5 per cent in the FY27 season from 343,981 in FY26 to around 211,600 in FY27.

The profile of selected candidates has also changed. While the number of selected registrations involving applicants with a US master’s degree or higher recorded good growth, the number of selected entries from the lowest wage category has reduced overtime.

That suggests the shift is already visible. The H-1B route is not closing. But it is becoming more selective, more salary-linked and less favourable to lower-wage or entry-level filings.

India-US trade deal close, says Gor

Gor also told IANS that the first phase of the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement is at an advanced stage. He said both sides have narrowed most substantive differences and are now working largely on the legal text of the pact.

The latest round of talks was held in New Delhi this week between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Goyal, according to PTI, said the trade pact with the US was “very close”, but added that it cannot come into force unless India secures a competitive tariff advantage over rival manufacturing economies.

“The day that happens, the deal is on,” Goyal said at the India Global Forum in London.

For New Delhi, that remains the key test. India wants any agreement to give its exporters a clear edge over competitors such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Washington, meanwhile, is seeking a wider and more reciprocal trade opening.

For now, Gor’s remarks signal that the US wants to keep the immigration and trade tracks from spilling into the larger strategic relationship. For Indian professionals, however, the immediate takeaway is clear: the H-1B system may remain open, but the road to selection is becoming narrower.