Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee: Will it crush the American dream for Indian students? Here's what experts say

Summary

For decades, the math for Indian students heading to the United States was fairly simple: take out an education loan, earn a STEM degree, secure a job through the Optional Practical Training (OPT (work permit after graduation)) program, and eventually obtain an H-1B work visa visa to pay off the debt. A DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) spokesperson noted that the department is continually exploring tools to "protect the integrity of our legal immigration system." The OPT program is a temporary work authorisation. "The charge would exceed the first-year gross salary of most STEM master's graduates. Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com. This follows a controversial attempt by the Trump administration to impose a similar $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications. Laul said that roughly 4.2 lakh international graduates use OPT every year, disproportionately in STEM, and they aren't a marginal contributor to the US economy. Some education consultants have predicted that if the OPT fee is implemented, the impact will be immediate: a sharp decline in Indian students opting for US STEM programs. With six in ten US colleges already reporting a fall in international student applications due to ongoing policy turbulence, the OPT fee could decimate international enrollment, fundamentally altering the financial landscape of American higher education. Khanna said that this measure would face “serious legal obstacles,” and the H-1B fee litigation shows those obstacles are real. “But students and families should plan on the assumption that American immigration policy will remain unstable through at least 2027. Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news.