US H-1B fee hike: Telangana blames BJP govt at Centre for 'failure' to act

Attacking the Centre over US President Donald Trump's decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000 annually, the Congress government in Telangana on Saturday alleged that the NDA regime has failed to address the issue.

State IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, who condemned Trump's move, said it would have an adverse impact on Indian tech companies and job aspirants.

"India tops the list of countries availing H-1B visas, followed by China. Either to bring pressure on the American government or to hold consultations over Trump's actions, the BJP government at the Centre has completely failed in addressing the issue," he told reporters.

He further alleged that the central government was troubling states over their rights. "Does the Centre not have the time to address the impact on southern states because of several American decisions in recent times?" he asked.

Sridhar Babu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar must launch diplomatic efforts to find solutions. "The Centre must make efforts to address the problems of Indian IT professionals," he said, pointing out that many families in Telangana depend on remittances from children working in the US.

Following the steep hike, he warned, software recruitment would decline, leading to job losses. Small software firms might even give up on the H-1B programme and shut down.

The decline in remittances would also impact real estate, gold purchases, and other sectors, the minister noted.

"We demand that the Centre find a solution through diplomatic negotiations. Why are they maintaining this strategic silence? Why is the Centre doing optics by showing Trump as a great friend? Very ineffective diplomacy by the Centre is happening," he alleged.

In a development that could affect Indian professionals in the US, President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000 annually, a move described by American lawmakers and community leaders as "reckless" and "unfortunate." Trump on Friday signed the proclamation Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, saying abuse of the H-1B visa programme posed a "national security threat."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)