EAM Jaishankar to meet Marco Rubio in New York as H-1B visa fee row intensifies

New York: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, officials confirmed.

The meeting will continue efforts to strengthen bilateral ties at a time when relations have come under strain over trade tariffs and India’s purchase of Russian oil. This will be the third in-person meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio this year, following their interactions in Washington in July and January.

Tensions between the two countries spiked after the United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, which took effect on August 27. The latest dialogue also comes alongside Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Washington, where he is leading trade negotiations.

The talks are expected to be particularly significant in the backdrop of the Trump administration’s recent decision to raise the H-1B visa application fee to 100,000 dollars, a move that has caused turmoil in the tech industry and uncertainty among foreign workers.

In response to concerns, the White House told IANS that the measure is a one-time fee applicable only to new petitions and not to renewals or current visa holders. “It will first apply in the upcoming lottery cycle,” a White House official clarified.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also wrote on X that existing H-1B visa holders would not be charged 100,000 dollars to re-enter the country, adding that they remain free to travel in and out of the US.