“With the new $100K H-1B fee, it feels like there’s no hope left”: Indian engineer in the US bids farewell to the American dream

The United States has long been a magnet for ambitious professionals seeking education and career opportunities. But recent policy shifts are testing that promise. The Trump administration’s proposal to impose a $100,000 fee on employers sponsoring new H-1B visa petitions could drastically reduce opportunities for international workers. For Shreya Mishra Reddy, an Indian engineer and Duke University graduate, who spoke to Business Insider , the announcement has made an already uncertain future even more daunting. Shreya grew up in India and never envisioned living in the US long-term. “I wanted to stay close to my parents,” she says. Yet the prospect of expanding her academic and professional horizons led her to move to the United States in December 2021 for a Master’s program in en