Indian Embassy In US Issues Emergency Number After Trump Imposes Rs 88 Lakh H1-B Visa Fee

The Indian Embassy in the US on Saturday introduced an emergency assistance number for Indian national in need of support after the US President Donald Trump imposed a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on H-1B visa petitions.

In its latest post on X, formerly Twitter, the Indian Embassy in the US said, "Indian nationals seeking emergency assistance may call cell number +1-202-550-9931 (and WhatsApp). This number should be used only by Indian nationals seeking immediate emergency assistance and not for routine consular queries."

The future of highly skilled foreign professionals seeking to work in the US is a huge concerns sparked by Trump's biggest effort to curb illegal immigration via the new H1-B visa fee.

It's expected to impact the tech sector, which has relied on thes ervices of IT professionals from Asian countries like China, and India. Currently, over 70 per cent of H1-B visas beneficiaries are Indians.

The official spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said, " Skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India. Policy makers will therefore assess recent steps taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the two countries."

Also Read: Donald Trump Raises Alarm in US Tech Industry

"This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities," he said.

A senior US administration official told ANI that the new H1-B visa fee targets the next round of H1-B visa lottery petitions and not renewals.

Meanwhile, those who are leaving the US or visting India will not be required to pay the newly-imposed fee or return to America bbefore Sunday as the fresh requirements sare meant for new and not existing H1B visa holders.