Dreams on Hold”: Indian Engineers Pack Their Bags as H-1B Fee Hits $100,000

“No Hope Left Now”: Indian Engineers Return Home

Most of the Indian engineers are not able to cross the H-1B visa policy 2025 roadblock, one of those engineers is Shreya Mishra Reddy. She is an engineering management graduate from Duke university. Even after being a graduate and holding work experience in the US under the OPT program, she had to face H-1B visa rejection thrice.

“With the new $100,000 fee, it feels like there’s no hope left,” she said tearfully.

Just like several Indian techies, even Shreya is facing visa uncertainties as her extension is about to get over in January 2026, leaving her thinking of what to do next. She pens down saying, “I thought I was prepared to return to India, but when I saw the rejection, I broke down at work”.

answering the three questions, despite having a solid background and high income.

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Why Does the H-1B Visa Fee Hike Change Everything?

Initially, the H-1B visa cost was between $5,000 and $10,000 that most of the employers and skilled migrants could manage. But under the Trump administration, and the visa policy reforms of increasing the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, in the present time, almost every startup and mid-sized company is skeptical about making sponsorships and hiring international talent. This leaves thousands of Indian STEM graduates unemployed, and the only option left with them is to return to their home country as soon as the OPT period expires.

“America Is Not the Only Dream Anymore”

Amidst the ongoing immigration policy changes in the US, Indian students are exploring other alternative countries as they are offering useful pathways, like Canada’s Global Talent Stream to Australia’s Skilled Work Visa (Subclass 482) and Germany’s Blue Card. She says, “Based on my experience at Harvard, Duke, and my company, I now have better opportunities in India and Europe”.

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Who Should Still Study in the US?

Experts say that studying in the US only makes sense for:

• Students who are studying high-demand fields like AI, biotechnology, or data science

• Students who can afford to come back home after their OPT expires.

• Professionals who are open to global career options, and don’t want PR in the US.

The New American Reality for Indian Students

With the rising cost of education and H-1B visa fees, the American dream has lost its charm. Now, it comes with a warning label. As Shreya puts it,

“The Statue of Liberty still stands tall, but its promise feels smaller each year.”

Amidst the ongoing visa policy changes under the Trump administration, the US remains no longer the ultimate destination for Indian techies, but just one stop in a longer global journey.