(DELHI, INDIA) Large banners near IIT-Delhi are spelling out a message many Indian engineers feared they would never see again after the latest visa crackdown: “We still sponsor H-1Bs” and “$100K isn’t going to stop us from hiring the best.” Put up by a US-based AI recruitment firm during the current campus placement season, the hoardings openly promise continued H-1B sponsorship even after the Trump administration’s new $100K fee on each fresh visa application took effect in 2025.
Campus reaction and symbolism
The campaign, which students say has appeared not only near IIT-Delhi but also around other top engineering campuses, has quickly become a symbol of a deeper split in the US job market for Indian talent. On one side are employers who say the US$ 100,000 fee is simply too high to justify hiring junior foreign workers. On the other are cash-rich technology and AI-focused companies that insist they will keep paying for the skills they say they cannot easily find in the 🇺🇸 domestic market.
Recruiters on campus report the banners have already shifted mood among final-year students who had written off prospects of a US job offer. The bold line “We still sponsor H-1Bs” is being widely shared in student WhatsApp groups and placement forums as a sign that not all doors are closing.
“We still sponsor H-1Bs” — a direct, public message that is both reassurance and selective filter for top candidates.
What changed: the $100K fee and timing
Under President Donald Trump’s 2025 directive, employers sponsoring a new H-1B petition must now pay an additional US$ 100,000 per case, a massive jump from the earlier application cost of roughly US$ 1,500.
Key numbers and timeline:
– Previous structure combined a US$ 215 online lottery registration fee with about US$ 780 for the employer petition filing.
– VisaVerge.com analysis describes the change as more than a 10,000% increase over prior costs.
– The higher fee took effect in September 2025.
– In the weeks before the change, major US companies including Microsoft, JPMorgan, and Amazon reportedly sent internal alerts urging current H-1B workers to remain in or quickly return to the 🇺🇸 before the new rules made future travel and new filings far more expensive.
Employers who continued to file: 2025 approvals snapshot
Despite the fee jump, several of the biggest US tech employers have continued to file large numbers of petitions. Recent figures cited by VisaVerge.com show:
| Employer | Approved H-1B petitions (initial employment, FY2025) |
|---|---|
| Amazon | 4,644 |
| Meta Platforms | 1,555 |
| Microsoft | 1,394 |
| 1,050 |
Additional context:
– In just the first half of 2025, Amazon reportedly secured more than 12,000 H-1B approvals, while Microsoft and Meta each obtained over 5,000.
– For the first time, four US-based technology companies occupied the top four positions for new H-1B approvals — a structural shift that underlines who can afford the new regime.
Impact on Indian IT firms and services model
Indian IT service giants saw a sharp fall in share of approvals:
– Only Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), LTIMindtree, and HCL America remained in the top 25 employers.
– The top seven Indian IT firms together secured 4,573 approvals — about 37 percent fewer than in 2024.
This decline raises concern for mid-ranking engineers whose careers often began with a service firm posting them to client sites in the 🇺🇸 under company-sponsored visas.
Two-tier candidate market: who wins and who loses
The new $100K fee deepens a divide between two types of candidates:
- High-value, senior, or niche specialists
- Roles: machine learning scientists, research specialists, advanced cloud architects, blockchain experts, cybersecurity specialists.
- Typical salaries: often above US$ 250,000.
- Employers treat the visa cost as a justifiable business expense for rare skills.
- Entry-level developers and junior analysts
- Work often feasible from offshore centres in India.
- For them, the new fee may effectively close the H-1B path unless the employer is unusually committed or the role is strategically vital.
Recruitment managers say the hoardings near IIT-Delhi are clearly aimed at the high-value end of the market. The US-based AI recruiter is positioning itself as a premium destination that hires fewer, top-tier engineers and invests heavily in each hire.
Why big tech can absorb the cost
Major tech companies are planning massive capital expenditure focused on AI infrastructure and growth:
– Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon together expect capital expenditure to exceed US$ 380 billion in 2025.
If an engineer plays a central role in building products that could drive billions in revenue, an extra US$ 100,000 in government fees for a multi-year H-1B hire can be absorbed as a one-time talent cost. By contrast, a junior coder whose work can be shifted to a global capability centre in Bengaluru or Hyderabad is harder to justify sponsoring.
Options and shifting strategies for employers and candidates
Many Indian firms and multinational companies with large teams in India are rethinking global staffing:
– Shifting additional work into India through global capability centres or remote work hubs looks more attractive.
– The rise of hybrid and fully remote roles since the pandemic allows top Indian engineers to work on global products from Mumbai, Gurgaon, or Pune without a US work visa.
Students report a wider set of career choices:
– Well-funded Indian startups
– Remote roles with European or US companies
– R&D centres in Bengaluru or Singapore
– Cities like London, Paris, and Singapore as alternatives for international exposure
The emotional and practical stakes
For many families, an H-1B still represents not just a job but a path to a long-term role and possibly a green card. That emotional pull explains why the IIT-Delhi hoardings have resonated: they do not promise an easy ride, but they counter the narrative that the H-1B door has slammed shut. Instead, the door is narrower and reserved mainly for those whose skills are truly exceptional or strategically important.
Practical advice from immigration lawyers
Lawyers following the trend advise candidates to:
– Adjust expectations rather than abandon US plans.
– Focus on building deep skills in high-demand areas.
– Gather clear proof of impact at work.
– Target employers with both the financial strength and a proven history of sponsoring visas.
H-1B submissions still use Form I-129; visa interviews rely on DS-160 later. Stay updated with USCIS guidance and employer sponsorship history to avoid delays or missteps during the process.
Official procedural references remain:
– Employers still submit Form I-129 for H-1B classification.
– Workers may later use the State Department’s online DS-160 form for visa interviews via the US visa information site: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html.
– Official USCIS guidance is available on the H‑1B specialty occupations page: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations.
Interpretation of the IIT-Delhi campaign
Observers see the campaign as both reassurance and selective filter:
– By loudly stating a willingness to pay $100K, the AI recruiter signals confidence to top candidates while warning away those who may not meet its high bar.
– For Indian students, the campaign is a reminder that while the playing field has tilted, there are still employers ready to invest heavily when the skill set fits.
The uncertain future
Two plausible scenarios going forward:
1. If more employers follow Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google, high-end hiring of Indian engineers and scientists could remain strong even as mass placements dwindle.
2. If companies shift aggressively to remote and India-based roles, the hoardings outside IIT-Delhi may be remembered as a brief, bold stand in a much larger move away from physical migration toward global work without borders.
Either way, the message hanging over the Delhi Metro station is clear: talent still matters, but the price of crossing borders has changed.
In September 2025 the US implemented a US$100,000 surcharge on new H-1B petitions, drastically increasing costs from about US$1,500. Deep-pocketed tech firms continued hiring — Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google led approvals — creating a two-tier market favoring senior, niche specialists while entry-level roles move offshore or to remote models. Campus banners at IIT-Delhi by a US AI recruiter declaring “We still sponsor H-1Bs” signal selective sponsorship aimed at top candidates amid shifting employer strategies.
