Immigration policy changes are expected regardless of who wins the presidency.
ET previously reported that Indian companies have already reduced their dependence on H-1B visas as US firms increase local hiring.
What is an H-1B visa?
An H-1B visa allows US employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for specialty occupations. While historically dominated by IT services and technology companies, the programme has faced increasing restrictions since Trump’s first term, including steep hikes in registration fees. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently raised the H-1B registration fee from $10 to $215 and the application fee from $460 to $780. It also introduced a new $600 ‘asylum fee’ for H-1B and other petitions, significantly increasing overall costs.
Kamala Harris’s Stance
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The Democratic candidate advocates for more liberal immigration policies, particularly supporting work authorization for H-1B spouses. Her campaign emphasizes eliminating discriminatory backlogs, noting that 95% of green card applicants come from China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam. However, she has not addressed country-specific green card caps. Donald Trump’s Position
The Republican candidate has consistently opposed the H-1B programme, calling it unfair to US workers. His first term saw high visa denial rates. In 2020, his administration attempted to raise H-1B holder minimum wages to match US worker standards, though this effort was later blocked.
Recent Trends
The US government has steadily tightened work visa regulations over the past decade. USCIS reported a nearly 40% decline in eligible registrations, from 758,994 for FY24 to 470,342 for FY25, attributing this drop to its new ‘beneficiary-centric’ approach aimed at reducing fraud. Total registrations fell from 780,884 to 479,953 during the same period.
