A new $100,000 (£74,000) charge for applicants seeking US skilled worker visas will have “humanitarian consequences,” according to the Indian government. The higher H-1B visa application price, which is more than 60 times the current fee, was ordered by President Donald Trump on Friday to take effect on September 21. With little over 70% of all visas granted, Indian workers are by far the most skilled in the program.
According to reports, some US IT companies instructed their H-1B visa holders to remain in the US or, if they were abroad, to attempt to return right away. The White House then made it clear on Saturday that the fee will not be charged for applications for renewals or existing visas.
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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs warned in a statement on Saturday that the fee will have humanitarian repercussions “due to the disturbance it causes for families. Additionally, the Indian government stated that it “hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities”.
The statement added that the skilled worker exchange had “contributed enormously” to both countries and that “Policy makers will therefore assess recent steps taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the two countries. The message didn’t go into detail about how the Indian government would react.
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