Washington: Amid growing tensions over the United States’ new H-1B visa policies, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the undeniable importance of a global workforce, pointing out that the domestic populations of many nations alone cannot meet their labor demands. Speaking at the event “At the Heart of Development: Aid, Trade, and Technology”, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar’s remarks came as a subtle yet pointed response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recently announced visa diktats.
In a policy move widely seen as targeting Indian professionals, Trump imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, asserting that the program had been exploited to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor and citing potential national security risks. The move has already created uncertainty for Indian professionals, who comprise the majority of H-1B beneficiaries in the United States, particularly in the technology and healthcare sectors.
Addressing the gathering, Jaishankar stressed that countries must acknowledge the reality of global labor mobility. “Where that global workforce is to be housed and located may be a matter of political debate. But there's no getting away. If you look at demand and you look at demographics, demands cannot be met in many countries purely out of national demographics,” he said. He called for the creation of a more contemporary, efficient, and acceptable model of a global workforce, distributed across nations and integrated into a globally connected workplace.
Jaishankar further highlighted the transformative impact of technology, trade, and connectivity on work and employment patterns, noting that the international economy is rapidly evolving and that nations must prepare for a “very different world” in the near term. He also underscored India’s focus on building capacities for self-reliance in a turbulent global environment, reflecting the country’s broader strategic vision.
India remains the world leader in terms of both emigrant numbers and overseas population. Each year, approximately 2.5 million Indians migrate abroad, contributing to a global Indian diaspora of 35.4 million non-resident Indians (NRIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs), according to the Ministry of External Affairs’ May 2025 data. In the United States, Indian professionals dominate the H-1B program, accounting for more than 70 percent of recipients, and hold key positions in leading technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM. Indian doctors also constitute nearly 6 percent of the U.S. physician workforce.
Experts warn that Trump’s new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, combined with existing filing and legal costs, could make the program prohibitively expensive for applicants and employers alike, particularly affecting skilled workers from lower-income backgrounds. The development has sparked global debates over labor mobility, immigration policy, and the role of international talent in sustaining the competitiveness of advanced economies.
Jaishankar’s intervention reinforces India’s position as a key player in the global workforce, advocating for policies that recognize the necessity of cross-border labor flows in a rapidly transforming world economy. His remarks underscore the need for collaboration and innovation in managing the complexities of international employment while safeguarding the interests of skilled workers and their home countries.