Gautam Mukunda, a scholar from Yale University, has voiced strong disapproval of the U.S. government’s move to increase the H-1B visa fee to $100,000. Mukunda argues that this decision is not only “economically unsound” but also puts the U.S. at a significant disadvantage in the global competition for skilled international professionals. He highlighted the immense value of graduates from India’s Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), stating that “Every country in the world would kill to get the best IIT graduates.” Mukunda expressed concern that by imposing this hefty fee, America is essentially discarding a valuable asset and hindering its ability to attract top-tier talent.
Speaking on Bloomberg Radio, Mukunda suggested that the policy might be a diversionary tactic rather than a genuine reform, noting the reported dissatisfaction among American business leaders who are hesitant to publicly oppose the decision.
The scholar’s remarks have generated considerable discussion on social media. Many users echoed his sentiments, with one commenter pointing out the irony of the U.S. benefiting from India’s educational investments and then turning away top talent, who might otherwise contribute to competing economies. Another user suggested that major tech companies like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Apple would likely still be willing to pay a premium for top Indian graduates. A recurring theme in the online reactions was the consensus that losing highly skilled individuals harms innovation and that policies should be designed to retain, rather than deter, the brightest minds.
The $100,000 H-1B visa fee was introduced as part of an executive order aimed at discouraging the use of foreign workers and encouraging domestic hiring. However, critics and economists alike are concerned that this policy could backfire, potentially harming the U.S. economy by deterring the very talent that drives innovation and competitiveness, especially in the technology sector which heavily relies on skilled professionals from India.