IT workers on H-1B visas now account for over 65% of the sector, compared with 32% in FY 2003, fueling concerns about U.S. job displacement.
BY PC Bureau
September 21: The White House on Saturday released a factsheet defending President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a USD 100,000 (₹88 lakh) fee on new H-1B visa applications, arguing that American workers were being displaced by “lower-paid foreign labour.”
According to the administration, the share of IT workers on H-1B visas grew from 32% in FY 2003 to more than 65% in recent years. At the same time, unemployment among recent U.S. computer science graduates stands at 6.1% and at 7.5% for computer engineering graduates—double the jobless rates for biology or art history majors.
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The factsheet also highlighted that the number of foreign STEM workers in the U.S. more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, while overall STEM employment grew only 44.5% during that period. It cited several companies as examples:
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One firm approved for 5,189 H-1B visas in FY 2025 reportedly laid off 16,000 U.S. employees this year.
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Another received 1,698 H-1B approvals but cut 2,400 U.S. jobs in Oregon in July.
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A third has reduced its U.S. workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while obtaining 25,075 H-1B visas.
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Yet another company approved for 1,137 visas in FY 2025 cut 1,000 American jobs in February.
The White House framed the new fee as part of Trump’s pledge to prioritize American workers. “Voters gave President Trump a resounding mandate to put American workers first, and he has worked every day to deliver on that commitment,” the statement read. It added that since Trump’s return to office, all employment gains had gone to U.S.-born workers, unlike under Joe Biden last year, when “all employment gains went to foreign-born workers.”
Most Indians don’t realize how dependent we are on the H-1B pipeline. Honestly, it’s been our lifeline to the US tech industry.
Over 70% of H-1Bs go to Indians. That’s 300k+ approvals a year, feeding Infosys, TCS, Wipro, and sending $90B+ back home in remittances. Families,… pic.twitter.com/msUsOTq2SU
— Crypto Jargon (@Crypto_Jargon) September 20, 2025
Panic Among Indian H-1B Holders
The announcement triggered panic among Indian H-1B visa holders—who account for 72% of the nearly 400,000 visas issued between Oct 2022 and Sept 2023—with some cancelling travel plans at the last minute and others already in India rushing to return to the U.S.
Immigration attorneys and employers warned that visa holders or family members abroad for work or vacation could be blocked from re-entry if they failed to return before the proclamation took effect on Sunday.
The Trump administration later clarified that the USD 100,000 fee applies only to new petitions and not to current visa holders. The one-time fee will be levied only on new H-1B applications filed after September 21. Those already holding H-1B visas, including individuals currently outside the U.S., will not be required to pay the new fee for reentry.
They’re laying off thousands of Americans and screaming “we need MORE H-1B visas because demand is so high.” Translation: demand for cheap scabs is high.
While your income vanishes and eviction notices pile up, these enemies of the state want to import extra labor to finish the… pic.twitter.com/OTTM2LKoKV
— WIV Reports — Uncensored (@WIVReports) July 21, 2025
