‘A little afraid of our talent’: Piyush Goyal on new H-1B visa fees

New Delhi: Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, who will lead the next round of trade talks with the United States on September 22, struck a confident tone after Washington’s surprise move to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

Speaking in a video clip shared on his X handle, Goyal highlighted the global interest in India’s trade potential. “Different countries across the world also want to do Free Trade Agreements with India,” he said. “They want to increase trade with India. They want to improve relations... They are also a little afraid of our talent. We have no objection to that either.”

Goyal urged Indian professionals to consider building their careers at home: “Come to India, innovate here, design here. That will make the economy grow even more rapidly. So we are winners, come what may.”

“The growth achieved was 7.8% in the first quarter. It beat all economists' expectations, and we will continue to beat them right up to 2047,” he added.

The minister’s delegation, which includes special secretary Rajesh Agrawal and other officials, will visit New York to advance discussions aimed at the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Earlier, during a visit by officials from the US Trade Representative’s office to India on September 16, 2025, both sides held “positive discussions on various aspects of the trade deal” and agreed to intensify efforts moving forward.

United States has introduced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 for new H-1B visa applications, in a measure designed to further restrict the entry of foreign skilled workers.

The announcement, which took effect on September 21, initially triggered alarm among Indian professionals in the US, with several immigration lawyers and firms cautioning that H-1B holders and their families outside the country should return within 24 hours to avoid being stranded.

However, the White House later clarified that the new fee would apply only to fresh applicants and not to existing visa holders, offering relief to current beneficiaries of the programme.