Trump plans more H-1B Visa restrictions beyond $100,000 fee hike
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Washington: The Trump administration is planning to introduce tighter rules on the H-1B visa programme, moving beyond the proposed $100,000 mandatory fee.
In a move to overhauling the entire system, the US government will keep tabs on how employers can use the permit and who qualifies for it.
The changes, according to the report, could impact thousands of Indian students and young professionals looking forward to work in the US.
It is reported that the Department of Homeland Security has proposed a rule change in its regulatory agenda seeking to modify the H-1B visa category.
The proposals titled 'Reforming the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program' contains several technical aspects seeking to provide greater scrutiny for employers violating programme requirements, alongside enhancing oversight over third-party placements, according to the report.
It is reported citing Newsweek that changing the exemption caps could affect nonprofit research organisations, universities and healthcare institutions currently enjoying benefit from exemptions.
‘These changes are intended to improve the integrity of the H-1B nonimmigrant program and better protect US workers' wages and working conditions,’ the proposal reportedly said.
The regulatory notice suggests that December 2025 could be the possible publication date for the new rule.
Reports earlier said that Trump administration was mulling over replacing the traditional H-1B visa lottery with a wage-based selection system.
The H-1B, created by the 1990 Immigration Act, allows American companies to hire high-skilled foreign nationals that are in short supply domestically.
Setting an annual cap of 65,000 on H-1B visas, the US government alongside made an exemption of 20,000 for individuals with a master's or higher degree from a US university
Some employers, for example universities and nonprofits, are exempt from the limits.
Meanwhile a report by the Pew Research Centre said that nearly three-quarters of applications approved in 2023 came from India with a least 60 per cent of the H-1B visas since 2012 focused on computer-related jobs.