As Donald Trump prepares to take office as the 47th US president on January 20, many Indian H-1B visa holders are worried about possible immigration changes. Employers and legal experts are advising them to return to the US before the inauguration, fearing new policies could make re-entry difficult.
In a recent announcement, the US Embassy in India confirmed that H-1B visa renewals will now be possible within the US, removing the need for travel to India. This new program, expected to start this year, will provide relief to thousands of skilled professionals.
Indian workers, especially in STEM fields, dominate the H-1B program, holding over 72 percent of the visas. However, approvals for Indian IT firms have dropped significantly, from 14,792 in 2015 to just 7,299 in 2024, according to the National Foundation for American Policy.
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On January 17, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security will introduce the H-1B Modernisation Final Rule, which aims to improve the hiring process while increasing oversight. Many visa holders remain cautious, remembering that during Trump’s previous term, stricter rules led to a 24 percent rejection rate for H-1B applications in 2018.
With uncertainty surrounding future policies, some US companies are focusing on remote hiring, while visa holders are being advised to avoid international travel during this period of transition.