With significant changes to H-1B visa regulations and the escalating costs of living in the US, many are re-evaluating their career paths, seeking stability and growth opportunities in India’s burgeoning technology landscape.
For Santosh (name changed on request), an IT professional who moved to the US in 2008, visa uncertainty was a constant part of his professional life.“If you are out of a project or your employer fires you, you now have a 60-day deadline to find another job or figure out what to do next,” he said. Being tied to an H-1B sponsor also made changing jobs difficult, he added, creating a dependence on employers.While Santosh has managed to navigate the uncertainties of living and working in the US, several of his H-1B-holding peers have returned to India after losing their jobs or facing visa rejections.Santosh believes the career trade-off between the US and India has changed significantly since he first moved abroad. In 2008, he said, he was earning around ₹25,000 a month in Hyderabad, while similar roles in India can now pay ₹1-2 lakh a month. A $100,000 salary in the US would typically translate to about half that amount in India. Today, he believes the gap has narrowed.Of late, the US has introduced several immigration-related policy changes that could affect Indian IT workers, including higher H-1B visa costs, increased scrutiny of visa applicants, proposed changes to the 60-day grace period for workers who lose their jobs, potential restrictions on H-4 spouses’ work permits, and tighter rules around employment-based green-card applications. Together, these changes have added to uncertainty for H-1B workers and their families.Despite the uncertainty, US companies continue to sponsor large numbers of H-1B workers. According to USCIS data, Amazon topped the list in FY26 with 9,337 H-1B beneficiaries approved, followed by TCS with 4,450, Infosys with 4,113, Apple with 3,879, and Microsoft with 3,688. In FY25, Amazon also led with 13,265 H-1B beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Microsoft had 6,258, TCS had 6,126, Apple had 5,382, and Infosys had 2,856 approvals.Amidst the recent immigration related uncertainties, students or professionals will rethink their choices because of a lack of predictability in progression opportunities and immediate career outcomes, Praneet Singh, Vice President, University Partnerships, upGrad study, explained.“Tightening H-1B regulations is likely to make international students more deliberative and calculative about choosing the US as their primary destination, especially those focused on long-term work opportunities. This could impact the flow of Indian talent into the US workforce, as students evaluate countries that offer more predictable and foreseeable post-study work pathways,” he said.Losing groundAccording to an Emeritus research report titled ‘India Gen Z Outlook 2026 - The No Cap Generation report’, the traditional study-abroad pathway is losing ground. Among those surveyed, 48 per cent who would consider studying abroad say their interest has declined over the past year, driven by cost, visa requirements, and uncertain post-study work regimes. The US is bearing the sharpest decline.“India’s own growth and evolving opportunities are making the decision increasingly attractive. Rather than handling basic back-office work, local firms and GCCs are now driving core AI research, cloud infrastructure, and flagship products. This shift allows seasoned US professionals to break through corporate glass ceilings and step directly into executive leadership back home,” Lakshmi Iyer, Chief Client Officer and chairperson, StudyIn India, noted.According to Singh, India currently employs 53 per cent of the world’s GCCs and over 1.9 million professionals, with a high appetite for foreign graduates. By 2030, GCCs in India are expected to create over 2.8 million additional jobs across advanced tech, research, and consulting, with at least 30 per cent higher salaries than average.Greater interestThere is likely to be greater interest from mid- to senior-level professionals who will bring international experience and skills that are relevant to India’s growing technology ecosystem and GCCs. “While US salaries may still be higher for many specialised roles, professionals are considering the broader value of a career opportunity, including cost of living, growth potential, and quality of life. Being closer to family and building long-term professional and financial stability in India are also important,” Iyer explained.For returning professionals, the appeal is increasingly more than salary. Indian companies are placing greater value on specialised skills in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, cloud and product development, while offering opportunities for greater ownership, leadership, global projects and faster career progression.Published on September 3, 2026
