Business
H-1B: What Trump’s $100,000 visa means for India and US industries
Soutik Biswas and Nikhil InamdarBBC News
Getty ImagesPanic, confusion and then a hasty White House climbdown – it was a weekend of whiplash for hundreds of thousands of Indians on H-1B visas.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump stunned the tech world by announcing an up to 50-fold hike in the cost of skilled worker permits – to $100,000. Chaos followed: Silicon Valley firms urged staff not to travel outside the country, overseas workers scrambled for flights, and immigration lawyers worked overtime to decode the order.
By Saturday, the White House sought to calm the storm, clarifying that the fee applied only to new applicants and was a one-off. Yet, the long-standing H-1B programme – criticised for undercutting American workers but praised for attracting global talent – still faces an uncertain future.
Even with the tweak, the policy effectively shutters the H-1B pipeline that, for three decades, powered the American dream for millions of Indians and, more importantly, supplied the lifeblood of talent to US industries.
That pipeline reshaped both countries. For India, the H-1B became a vehicle of aspiration: small-town coders turned dollar earners, families vaulted into the middle class, and entire industries – from airlines to real estate – catered to a new class of globe-trotting Indians.
For the US, it meant an infusion of talent that filled labs, classrooms, hospitals and start-ups. Today, Indian-origin executives run Google, Microsoft and IBM, and Indian doctors make up nearly 6% of the US physician workforce.
Indians dominate the H-1B programme, making up more than 70% of the recipients in recent years. (China was the second-largest source, making up about 12% of beneficiaries.)
In tech, their presence is even starker: a Freedom of Information Act request in 2015 showed over 80% of “computer” jobs went to Indian nationals – a share industry insiders say hasn’t shifted much.
The medical sector underlines the stakes. In 2023, more than 8,200 H-1Bs were approved to work in general medicine and surgical hospitals.
India is the largest single source of international medical graduates (who are typically in US on H-1B visas) and make up about 22% of all international doctors. With international doctors forming up to a quarter of US physicians, Indian H-1B holders likely account for around 5-6% of the total.
Experts say pay data shows why Trump’s new $100,000 fee is unworkable. In 2023, the median salary for new H-1B employees was $94,000, compared with $129,000 for those already in the system. Since the fee targets new hires, most won’t even earn enough to cover it, say experts.
“Since the latest White House directive indicates that the fee would only apply to new H-1B recipients, this is more likely to cause medium and long-term labour shortages instead of immediate disruption,” Gil Guerra, an immigration policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, told the BBC.
India may feel the shock first, but the ripple effects could run deeper in the US. Indian outsourcing giants such as TCS and Infosys have long prepared for this by building local workforces and shifting delivery offshore.
The numbers tell the story: Indians still account for 70% of H-1B recipients, but only three of the top 10 H-1B employers had ties to India in 2023, down from six in 2016, according to Pew Research.
To be sure, India’s $283bn IT sector faces a reckoning with its reliance on shuttling skilled workers to the US, which accounts for over half its revenue.
IT industry body Nasscom believes the visa fee hike could “disrupt business continuity for certain onshore projects”. Clients are likely to push for repricing or delay projects until legal uncertainties are cleared, while companies may rethink staffing models – shifting work offshore, reducing onshore roles and becoming far more selective in sponsorship decisions.
Indian firms are also likely to pass on the increased visa costs to US clients, says Aditya Narayan Mishra of CIEL HR, a leading staffing firm.
“With employers reluctant to commit to the heavy cost of sponsorship, we could see greater reliance on remote contracting, offshore delivery and gig workers.”
The broader impact on the US could be severe: hospitals facing doctor shortages, universities struggling to attract STEM students, and start-ups without the lobbying muscle of Google or Amazon are likely to be hit hardest.
“It [visa fee hike] will force US companies to radically change their hiring policies and offshore a significant amount of their work. It will also ban founders and CEOs coming to manage US-based businesses. It will deal a devastating blow to US innovation and competitiveness,” David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, told BBC.
San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesThat anxiety is echoed by other experts. “The demand for new workers in fields like tech and medicine [in US] is projected to increase (albeit in uneven ways), and given how specialised and critical these fields are, a shortage that lasts even a few years could have a serious impact on the US economy and national well-being,” says Mr Guerra.
“It will likely also incentivise more skilled Indian workers to look at other countries for international study and have a cascading effect on the American university system as well.”
The impact, in fact, will be felt most sharply by Indian students, who make up one in four international students in the US.
Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder of the North American Association of Indian Students, which represents 25,000 members across 120 universities, says the timing – just after September enrolments – has left many new arrivals stunned.
“It felt like a direct attack, because the fees are already paid, so there’s a big sunk cost of anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 per student – and the most lucrative route to entering the American workforce has now been obliterated,” Mr Kaushik told the BBC.
He predicts the ruling will hit US university intake next year, as most Indian students opt for countries where they can “put down permanent roots”.
For now, the full impact of the tax hike remains uncertain.
Immigration lawyers expect Trump’s move to face legal challenges soon. Mr Guerra warns that the fallout could be uneven: “I expect the new H-1B policy will bring a number of negative consequences for the US, though it will take some time to see what those may be.”
“For example, given that the executive order allows for certain companies to be excepted, it could be possible that some heavy H-1B users such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta will find a way to be exempted from the H-1B fee policy. If they all get exemptions, however, this would largely defeat the purpose of the fee.”
As the dust settles, the H-1B shake-up looks less like a tax on foreign workers and more like a stress test for US companies – and the economy. H-1B visa holders and their families contribute roughly $86bn annually to the US economy, including $24bn in federal payroll taxes and $11bn in state and local taxes.
How companies respond will determine whether the US continues to lead in innovation and talent – or cedes ground to more welcoming economies.
UK high streets and shopping destinations are showing signs of recovery as more than 13 retail stores opened each week over the past year, according to new figures.
However, England and Wales have still seen more than 6,000 retail premises vanish from local communities over the past five years.
Analysis of Valuation Office Agency data by tax firm Ryan, found that there were 507,810 retail premises across England and Wales at the end of 2025.
It said the figures showed that a recent contraction across the sector has appeared to stabilise, with a 723 net increase in the number of retail stores compared with a year earlier.
Property numbers increased across every region of England and Wales, with the exception of the North West, which saw a decline of 41.
It suggests that parts of the sector are now beginning to rebalance following significant structural contraction seen since the pandemic.
The creation of new retail units also comes as many retail real estate firms, such as Hammerson, have turned empty large units, often former department stores, into a greater number of smaller units.
Other retail groups, such as John Lewis, have moved away from ambitions to transform some retail property for other uses such as rental accommodation.
Nevertheless, the retail sector is still facing pressure from higher business rates for many firms, increased labour costs and concerns over consumer sentiment.
The data also shows that there has also been significant decline over the past few years, with a net reduction of 6,045 retail properties since the end of 2020.
London recorded the largest five-year regional reduction, with 1,266 retail premises disappearing over the period, followed by the South East (-1,191), North West (-719) and North East (-672).
The figures show retail premises which have permanently disappeared from communities altogether, having either been demolished or converted for alternative use.
The figures come as Ryan’s 2026 annual business rates review highlighted that the retail sector saw a 9.3% increase in rateable values at the 2026 business rates revaluation despite the major shift in the retail landscape since the pandemic.
Alex Probyn, practice leader for Europe and Asia-Pacific property tax at Ryan, said: “The pandemic accelerated structural changes that were already emerging across the retail sector, including changing consumer behaviour, hybrid working patterns and a reduced reliance on traditional retail floorspace in many locations.
“Many locations were arguably over-retailed before Covid and high streets have evolved towards more mixed-use environments, with retail space being rebalanced alongside growing demand for residential, leisure, hospitality and service-led uses.
“The revaluation outcome does suggest a large proportion of retail premises have seen bigger increases in their assessments than underlying market conditions and rental evidence would have led occupiers to expect.
“Retailers should therefore carefully review and, where appropriate, challenge their assessments.”
Indians sharply cut back on overseas travel spending in March, with remittances for foreign trips dropping by more than $212 million from the previous month, according to Reserve Bank of India data. The fall in outbound travel expenditure came amid rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict and persistent pressure on rupee, even as travel remained the single largest component of outward remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).In March, travel-related remittances fell to $1.09 billion from $1.3 billion in February and $1.65 billion in January. The decline came at a time when the West Asia conflict pushed oil prices higher and weakened rupee to record lows. Amid the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to cut down on foreign travel and adopt measures such as carpooling. Lower overseas travel spending could reduce foreign exchange outflows and help ease pressure on rupee.According to the RBI’s data on outward remittances by resident individuals, travel continued to account for the largest share of money sent abroad under the LRS in March. Total remittances during the month stood at $2.59 billion.The RBI tracks overseas spending across categories including travel, studies abroad, maintenance of close relatives, overseas investments, and property purchases. Under the LRS framework, resident individuals, including minors, can remit up to $250,000 in a financial year for permitted current or capital account transactions.Within the travel segment, the biggest component remained the ‘other travel’ category, which covers holiday spending and international credit card settlements. Indians spent $623.05 million under this category in March, accounting for nearly 57 per cent of total travel-related remittances during the month.Expenditure linked to education travel, including hostel and fee payments, stood at $450.16 million. Business travel, pilgrimage, and overseas medical treatment together accounted for $21.39 million.The data also showed a rise in remittances meant for the maintenance of close relatives abroad. Such transfers increased to $389.78 million in March from $266.18 million in February.At the same time, spending under the ‘studies abroad’ category declined. This category includes payments made for educational services accessed remotely without travelling overseas, such as correspondence courses. Remittances under this head stood at $151.71 million in March, compared to $175.68 million in February and $267.42 million in January.For the financial year 2024-25, Indians remitted a total of $29.56 billion under the LRS. Travel made up the largest portion of this amount at $16.96 billion.The RBI figures further showed that investments by Indians in overseas equity and debt instruments rose significantly to $440.22 million in March from $265.99 million in February.Meanwhile, outward remittances for the purchase of immovable property overseas declined to $38.68 million in March, down from $51.36 million a month earlier.
Gold and silver are expected to take cues from developments in the ongoing US-Iran talks this week, with analysts forecasting a largely steady trend for gold prices while silver may continue to outperform amid geopolitical tensions and elevated crude oil prices.Investors are also likely to track a series of economic indicators from the United States, including GDP data, housing numbers, consumer confidence figures and the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation print, as markets look for signals on the Federal Reserve’s next policy move.“Gold price momentum next week looks sideways, while silver still looks positive as focus will again be on the peace negotiations between the US and Iran to end the war,” said Pranav Mer, Vice President, EBG – Commodity & Currency Research, JM Financial Services Ltd.Trading activity in domestic commodity futures markets will be curtailed on Thursday morning due to Bakri Id.On the MCX, gold futures ended the previous week at Rs 1.58 lakh per 10 grams after posting marginal gains, while silver futures settled lower at Rs 2.71 lakh per kilogram.“Gold traded in a range-bound manner last week, posting marginal gains of around 0.40% on the MCX to close near Rs 1,58,670 per 10 grams,” said Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst – Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities.He noted that crude oil prices witnessed heavy profit booking during the week and corrected nearly 7% from recent highs, easing concerns around inflationary pressure globally.“At the same time, the rupee recovered from weaker levels of 97 against the US dollar to strengthen near 95.70, which limited upside momentum in domestic gold prices despite stable international bullion trends,” Trivedi added.In international trade, Comex gold futures closed the week 1% lower at $4,523.2 per ounce. Silver futures also weakened, slipping nearly 2% to $76.20 per ounce.“Gold prices moved in a consolidative range over the past few sessions, but ended the week with a marginal loss. Prices were steady amid a lack of fresh direction in the market — be it on the economy front or the US-Iran war front,” Mer said.According to analysts, uncertainty surrounding the geopolitical situation has continued to keep markets on edge, particularly as statements from both Washington and Tehran have frequently shifted.On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said that an agreement between the US and Iran aimed at reducing tensions in the Gulf region and reopening the Strait of Hormuz was close to being finalised.Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the deal had been “largely negotiated” and that only final formalities remained.However, Iranian media disputed Trump’s remarks regarding the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Tehran would continue to maintain control over the key waterway.Analysts said the contrasting positions from both sides are likely to keep bullion prices sensitive to any fresh headlines emerging from the region.Meanwhile, market participants are also expected to monitor comments from Federal Reserve officials after Kevin Warsh formally succeeded Jerome Powell as head of the US central bank on Friday during a period of geopolitical tensions, market volatility and persistent inflation pressures.
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