Nasscom said Indian technology companies have significantly reduced their reliance on H-1B visas over the past five years while expanding local hiring and investing in the US STEM pipeline
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IT industry body Nasscom on Tuesday said the proposed USD 103,265 increase in H-1B visa fees must be viewed in the context of the programme’s original purpose of addressing skill shortages in the US, noting that Indian technology firms have already significantly reduced their reliance on such visas over the past five years.In a statement, it said that Indian companies have steadily expanded local hiring in the US over the past five years.“The H-1B visa programme has long served an important purpose in addressing short-term skill gaps in the US. It is also important to recognise that, over the past 5 years, the number of H-1B employees of Indian technology companies operating has reduced significantly, as companies have steadily expanded local hiring,” Nasscom said.A proposed increase in visa fees must, therefore, it said, be viewed in the context of the programme’s original purpose of enabling access to temporary skills where there is a shortage in the US.Nasscom highlights STEM investmentThe industry body further pointed out that the Indian technology sector has invested more than USD 1.1 billion to strengthen the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) pipeline in the US. This initiative involves partnerships with over 130 universities and colleges, impacting 2.9 million students and upskilling more than 255,000 employees.US proposes $103,265 H-1B feeThe US on Monday proposed an additional fee of USD 103,265 for all H-1B visa cap-subject applications, including those filed by applicants eligible for the advanced degree exemption.The US Congress currently limits the H-1B visa programme to 65,000 visas a year under the regular cap.An additional 20,000 visas are available for foreign workers who have obtained a master’s degree or higher from a US institution. This is commonly known as the “master’s cap”.The new proposal from the Department of Homeland Security comes a month after a federal appeals court rejected a plea to stay a district judge’s order overturning the Trump administration’s plan to charge a USD 1,00,000 fee on H-1B visa applications.The department has invited public comments on the proposal within the next 30 days.Indians dominate H-1B approvalsH-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.Indians accounted for an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).HCLTech cites low H-1B dependenceLast year, HCLTech had said that it is very little dependent on H1B visas.“About 80 per cent of our people in the US are all locals, so our dependence on the H-1B is one of the least in the industry. And it is not just now if I look back over the last 4 odd years, we have been pretty locally self-sufficient.“And that reflects in the number of H1Bs that we go through every year. It ranges between 500-1,000 in a year max...so it is minimal dependence,” said Ramachandran Sundararajan, Chief People Officer, HCLTech.Wipro CHRO Saurabh Govil had also said that almost 80 per cent of the company’s US employee base are locals.Published on August 26, 2026
