Latest news on the H-1B visa (Sept 2025) — What changed, and what it means for Bharat (India) and the USA | Insides by Accord Consultants
Summary (TL;DR): In September 2025 the U.S. administration announced sweeping changes to H-1B entry and fee policy — most notably a new one-time $100,000 application/entry fee for new H-1B petitions and moves to prioritize H-1B allocations by wage level (moving away from a pure lottery). The policy applies to new beneficiaries and takes effect for petitions submitted after Sept 21, 2025 (affecting the FY-2026 cycle). The announcement has caused immediate market and political reactions in both countries: Indian IT firms, tech workers and state governments are raising alarms while some U.S. employers and policymakers argue the change will encourage domestic hiring. The real impacts — on India’s workforce, Indian IT exporters, U.S. tech growth, and long-term India–U.S. talent flows — will depend on implementation details, legal challenges, and how businesses respond (e.g., reshoring, hiring locally, using alternative visa categories, or shifting work). What the new announcements a...