US Visa Fee Hike, Screening Slash H-1B Filings by 77% at Indian IT Firms

• H-1B visa filings by India's top IT firms have plummeted by 77% due to increased US visa fees and expanded social media screening.
• The slump marks 2025 as potentially the weakest year for H-1B applications in over a decade, impacting 18 major tech companies.
• Higher visa costs and stricter screening are forcing companies to prioritize niche, high-value roles and rethink on-site deployment strategies.
• Indian IT firms are accelerating hybrid talent models, combining local US hiring with remote delivery from India, and increasing internal transfers.
• The changes are also influencing Indian students' decisions on overseas education, making non-US pathways to US jobs less certain.

Why It Matters: US H-1B policy changes are drastically reshaping Indian IT's talent strategy and student aspirations.