Former Indian Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, has criticised the US government’s steep H-1B visa fee hike as a “tax on trust,” warning that it undermines the mutual benefits of the programme and risks eroding goodwill between India and the United States.
In an interview with ANI, Akbaruddin described the USD 100,000 fee hike imposed by US President Trump as a “toll on a bridge of talent,” cautioning that taxing skilled migration harms both nations. “H-1B was a bridge between the US and India. Taxing talent is a race we will both lose. Partners don’t choke talent; they channelise it. This toll on H-1B will hurt both sides of that bridge,” he said.
He stressed that thousands of Indian professionals have historically bridged gaps between India and the US, benefiting both societies, and argued that the fee hike could push talent to other countries. Akbaruddin suggested leveraging India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) as a “home-shoring solution” to absorb returning talent and boost exports, citing their current USD 68 billion annual exports and projected growth to USD 128 billion by 2030.
He emphasised that GCCs, which combine global operations with local talent, can provide high-end employment opportunities within India. “We need to look at this not as a loss, but as a chance to recalibrate. Talent will go where opportunity exists,” he added, urging India to adopt a “come home to build” strategy in response to the US visa overhaul.
Under the new US proclamation, a USD 100,000 fee will apply to all new H-1B visa petitions filed after September 21, 2025, including entries in the 2026 lottery. Current visa holders and petitions filed before the deadline remain unaffected.
