Indian Americans vs H-1B, F-1 holders: Trump visa fee hike sparks row

US President Donald Trump's move to introduce a USD 100,000 fee for fresh H-1B visa petitions has triggered an unlikely row.

While the Indian IT industry, as well as Indian students and young professionals in the US, are facing a significant setback to their plans, bitter sparring is occurring between Indians who are now US citizens or green card (permanent residence) holders, and those still on H-1B and F-1 visas. Nowhere is it more visible than in the Telugu community in the US.

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There’s an increasingly vocal divide on social platforms. "Settled" immigrants with green cards and citizenship are telling students and new arrivals on H-1B and F-1 visas to "pack up and head home". In response, the latter are accusing the former of being selfish.

“Now that your stomach is full, you don’t want anyone else to eat,” they allege. Many are disillusioned by the double standards. "You were once in our shoes, now you’ve shut the door behind you," they argue.

Calls to end hostility

Frustrated students and job-seekers — many of whom arrived with dreams of studying or working in America—are expressing anger over the hostility from the older generation. They argue that political, economic, and immigration policy changes are beyond their control. Meanwhile, settled immigrants claim that the increasing influx of Indians is limiting future opportunities for their American-born children.

Some green card holders have gone as far as to question the skills and qualifications of new entrants. “They don’t have the talent,” read several posts circulating in private online groups. F-1 and H-1B visa holders are pushing back, calling for an end to the ridicule and divisive comments. “Stop preaching, stop belittling,” they demand. Many are calling out what they see as envy and unnecessary hostility.

Y2K boom

Back in the pre-2000s, the demand for US visas was far lower. The US often extended green cards to PhD holders and scientists. But with the Y2K boom, a wave of skilled workers — especially in IT — started arriving. Many of those early H-1B holders are now US citizens or green card holders. Their children, born and raised in the US, are just entering the job market and now face competition from newer arrivals from India.

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“A programme that once took a day to code now takes an hour. Everyone’s learnt the game,” Sharif, a Telugu man living in New Jersey (name changed), told The Federal.

“From 2015 to 2022, especially during COVID, lakhs of Indian students — many Telugu — flooded into the US. There’s no cap on student visas. The hype around the American job market exploded, leading to the rise of shady consultancies. Even unskilled people started landing jobs using fake certificates. That’s created envy and resentment — first among Americans, now among Indian Americans themselves,” he said.

Time to scrap H-1B?

“H-1B should’ve been phased out by now,” N Prasad (name changed) from Austin, Texas told The Federal. “It’s only surviving due to political reasons. Earlier, only those with 10+ years of experience came in. Now, even fresh students are getting jobs. Consultants are abusing the system. Honestly, IT demand isn’t what it used to be. Work-from-home is the norm now. Companies don’t need to go abroad for talent,” he said.

“In the last 25 years, even software has become like ready-made chapati. With AI, this has accelerated,” Murali (name changed), from New Jersey, told The Federal. “The average IT cost in the US is USD 4,000; in India, it’s USD 97. If the US spends, so must India. But we’ve abandoned our own fields and are ploughing others’ lands,” he added.

The US grants 85,000 H-1B visas annually — 65,000 regular and 20,000 for US-educated master’s graduates. But over 200,000 applications are filed, leading to a lottery system. Notably, about 70 per cent of H-1B approvals go to Indian nationals. Any policy change affects Indians the most—particularly Telugu applicants.

As of 2024, there are 1.58 million international students in the US; 27 per cent are Indian. Many of them follow the F-1 → OPT → STEM OPT → H-1B path. The pipeline is huge.

Also Read: India ‘critical to US’, says Rubio after Jaishankar meet amid H-1B row

Will returning home help?

Some NRI parents are suggesting that newer students and H-1B visa holders should return to India after finishing their education or work stints. Their logic? Fewer immigrants mean better job prospects for their US-born children. This has led to jokes and taunts being shared online including:

“Packed your bags yet?”

“Hope your exit gives our kids a shot!”

“Trump did the right thing by increasing fees!”

The new immigrants, many still job-hunting, are understandably upset. The final word comes from Rao R Royal, a resident of Florida, who spoke to The Federal. “Stop the envy. Stop the hate. Internal divisions hurt all of us. Don’t celebrate your property in America—when crisis hits, no one’s spared,” he said.

(This copy was originally published in The Federal Andhra Pradesh.)