Indian professionals in US face rising anti-Indian hate after Trump’s H-1B changes: Report

A fresh wave of online hostility has been directed at Indian professionals and businesses in the US after major changes to the H-1B skilled-worker visa programme, according to experts quoted by the Financial Times. The backlash has followed policy revisions introduced by the Trump administration in September, which sharply raised visa costs and altered how applicants are selected.

What changed in the H-1B visa rules

Under the revised system, H-1B applicants now face an application fee of $100,000, a steep jump from earlier levels. The selection process has also shifted to a wage-based model that favours higher-paid roles. The US administration has defended the move, saying it is meant to “protect American workers”.

From February, the rules are set to become even stricter. Authorities plan to prioritise Level-IV H-1B applicants, the highest-paid category, making it tougher for many skilled migrants to qualify.


As the new rules came into force, several large US companies with links to Indian professionals came under online attack. Firms such as FedEx, Walmart and Verizon were accused on social media of illegally selling jobs to Indian workers.

As per the report, research by advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate, in partnership with counterterrorism firm Moonshot, shows a sharp rise in online hostility. Threats of violence against South Asian communities rose by 12 per cent in November last year. During the same period, the use of online slurs targeting South Asians jumped by 69 per cent.

This surge has coincided with a steady flow of Indian professionals to the US. American companies have continued to hire software developers, engineers, doctors and researchers from India to fill roles where local talent is in short supply.

FedEx CEO dragged into online storm

Tensions escalated ahead of Christmas after a video of a damaged FedEx truck went viral on social media. The clip triggered a flood of abusive comments aimed at FedEx’s Indian-origin chief executive, Raj Subramaniam.

One widely shared post said, “Stop the f**** Indian takeover of our great American companies.”**

Several right-wing commentators, including Andrew Torba, founder of social media platform Gab, accused Subramaniam of laying off White American workers and replacing them with Indian employees.

FedEx rejected the claims outright. The company said hiring decisions are based on merit, not nationality. “For more than 50 years, FedEx has fostered a merit-based culture that creates opportunity for everyone,” the company said. “We take great pride that this has resulted in a workforce that represents the diversity of the more than 220 countries and territories we serve.”

The backlash is playing out alongside a wider shift in corporate America. Over the past year, dozens of companies have cut back or paused diversity, equity and inclusion programmes after conservative critics claimed such efforts unfairly disadvantaged white Americans.