US Visa Rules Tighten: H-1B, OPT, and Green-Card Costs Rise Sharply for Indian Applicants

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 26, 2026

The Trump administration is advancing a wave of visa policy changes that will significantly raise costs and restrict pathways for Indian students and professionals seeking to work in the US. Key measures include expanding H-1B extension fees to $4,000 per renewal (effective September 9), replacing the F-1 duration-of-status system with a fixed four-year cap (effective September 15), and proposed fees as high as $103,265 per new H-1B petition and $100,000 for OPT. H-1B registrations have already dropped from roughly 794,000 in 2023 to 344,000 last year, and the share of US employers willing to sponsor foreign business-school graduates has fallen from 55% to 29% since 2022. Staffing agencies that place H-1B or OPT workers—particularly in tech and consulting—face rising client costs, tighter sponsorship decisions, and growing uncertainty around talent pipelines from India.