Jaishankar Sends Strong Message to Trump on H-1B Visa, Critiques Policies Without Naming Him

New York (The Uttam Hindu): India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a stern message to the United States during an event outside the UN General Assembly session. Without directly naming U.S. President Donald Trump, he criticized policies that ignore the reality and necessity of a global workforce. His remarks come in the wake of the Trump administration’s steep fees on H-1B visas and its strict immigration stance.

Speaking at a program organized by the Observer Research Foundation in New York, Jaishankar emphasized that many countries cannot meet labor demand solely with their domestic population. “This is a fact. You cannot escape it. A global workforce may be a political debate, but no one can ignore it. Looking at demand and demographics, in many countries, domestic population alone cannot meet labor requirements,” he said.

The External Affairs Minister advocated building a global workforce that is more acceptable, contemporary, and efficient. He asked, “How do we create a model of the global workforce that is distributed, located in a global workplace, yet more efficient and contemporary? I think this is a big question that the international economy must address today.”

Jaishankar’s statement comes at a time when President Trump has taken a tough stand on immigration, alongside trade and tariff challenges. The Trump administration recently imposed a new H-1B visa fee of $100,000. This visa has been a key pathway for Indian IT and technology professionals to work in the U.S., with roughly three-fourths of H-1B recipients being Indian nationals. The new fee will significantly increase the cost, potentially creating challenges for Indian professionals. Under the H-1B visa, U.S. companies can hire foreign professionals in specialized sectors such as IT, medical, and engineering.