H‑1B Visa Fee Hike To Impact Indian IT Giants; TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Tech & Brace for Rising Hiring Costs

Indian IT companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies have long been major employers of H-1B visa holders. A new rule effective from 21 September 2025 requires employers to pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B worker entering the US. This change could significantly impact Indian professionals working in the US.

Despite a decline in reliance on H-1B visas, Indian tech firms still account for about 13% of these visas issued by the US. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, as of June 30, 2025, Indian companies secured 13,870 H-1B visas in FY25. TCS and Infosys were among the top recipients.

H-1B Visa Fee Hike Impact on Indian IT Companies Including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech & Others

The number of H-1B visas granted to Indian companies has decreased compared to previous years. In FY24, approximately 24,766 visas were issued to Indian firms. However, this number dropped to 13,870 by June 2025. TCS led with 5,505 beneficiaries, followed by Infosys with 2,004.

Other notable recipients included LTIMindtree with 1,807 visas and HCL America with 1,728. Wipro secured 1,523 visas while Tech Mahindra Americas received 951. L&T Technology Services obtained 352 visas during this period.

H-1B Visa Fee Increase

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the annual fee for H-1B visas to $100,000. Previously, these visas carried administrative fees totaling around $1,500. The administration aims to ensure that only highly skilled workers are brought into the country without replacing American workers.

The proclamation highlighted that between 2000 and 2019, foreign STEM workers in the US more than doubled from 1.2 million to nearly 2.5 million. During this time, overall STEM employment grew by only 44.5%. The foreign share of computer and math occupations increased from 17.7% in 2000 to 26.1% in 2019.

Amazon.com Services LLC received the highest number of US visas with 10,044 H-1B approvals. TCS ranked second among all companies globally while Microsoft secured third place with 5,189 visas.

The H-1B visa program allows companies to hire foreign professionals temporarily for specialized roles. This program has been particularly beneficial for India's technology sector over the years.

The Trump administration stated that increasing fees would help ensure that those entering are genuinely skilled and not displacing American workers. White House staff secretary Will Scharf described the H-1B visa system as one of the "most abused" within current immigration policies.

Lutnick noted that historically around 281,000 people entered annually through employment-based Green Card programs earning an average salary of $66k per year; they were five times more likely than others participating in government assistance programs.