US H-1B visa restrictions threaten India-US strategic partnership

A report by ‘Khalsa Vox’ warns that increasingly restrictive US immigration policies, specifically regarding the H-1B visa programme, risk eroding the strategic partnership and trust between the United States and India.

The report notes that the Indian American community, numbering over four million, serves as a vital foundation for bilateral relations. It argues that treating foreign professionals as economic liabilities rather than drivers of innovation could undermine American technological supremacy.

Under ‘America First’ policies, the administration has defended restrictions as necessary to protect domestic workers and prevent fraud. However, the report questions whether measures such as imposing a $100,000 fee on certain new H-1B petitions sacrifice a valuable strategic partnership for domestic political gains. Indian nationals accounted for nearly two-thirds of H-1B approvals in 2024, highlighting the significant impact these policy shifts may have on the relationship.