H-1B visa holders take stock of a year of fear and loathing

Rajiv (name changed), a senior software engineer working in the US, has put his annual India visit on hold indefinitely over concerns that travel could impact his immigration status. For Bhanu (name changed), an AI engineer in Bengaluru, plans to move to the US are stalled as companies reduce dependence on H-1B visas.
Their stories underscore widespread uncertainty among tens of hundreds of skilled professionals amid tightening immigration rules in the US under President Donald Trump, with experts warning of more restrictions in the coming years.

Indians, the biggest H-1B beneficiaries - accounting for 71% of such visas issued in 2024, according to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services - are the worst affected by rising visa denial rates and higher scrutiny.


Some are mulling moving back to India. In 2025, the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee on fresh H-1B visas and started social media vetting of applicants among other measures. This resulted in mass cancellations of visa interviews, which are being rescheduled to over a year, putting the lives of many Indians in limbo.

More recently, the US Department of State amended the H-1B regulations, where selection will be wage-based in place of random lottery, starting February 27.

Year of Fear

"The biggest change is the pervasive climate of fear and uncertainty," said Joel Yanovich, attorney at Murthy Law Firm. "My clients aren't just worried about complex cases, they are scared to travel for holidays or file simple, routine extensions."

He explained that they are also seeing a marked departure from consistent adjudications. "This friction is felt most acutely at consular posts abroad, where delays, cancellations, and the 'black hole' of administrative processing have become the new standard for skilled workers," Yanovich said.

As a result, people are beginning to look for alternatives, including returning to India. "Many foreigners are making a Plan B and a Plan C, just in case the US does not work out for them," said Duden Freeman, a former US diplomat and consular manager and founder of Visas 101. "I know, for many Indians, the possibility of returning to India is something they are weighing carefully and are more and more open to."

Returning to India

Anand Joshi, cofounder of ExH1B, a platform that helps US skilled workers relocate to India, told ET that they are seeing increasing interest from Indian H-1B holders to return to India.