The Politics of Shutting Out Skill: What the New H-1B Rules Mean for India

“Shushmita’s son got a job in the US.” Translation: Shushmita’s son has made it in life.

When I was a kid, any family that moved to the US was successful; aspirational to us.

We would hang on to each word of theirs. Complaints about the long flight, the terrible driving of the taxiwala, and the traffic caused by the Durga pooja pandal. Most times, we didn’t even know where Chacha’s family was settled in the US, or what kind of job he did there. The technicalities didn’t matter to us; the glossy packages of American brand products and the fake accents were enough to make us imagine ourselves one day going to America, too.

That was The Middle-Class Dream. And with the newly amended H-1B visa, the dreamland itself was calling. Chosen by lottery, Indian workers make up around 70% of the 85,000 visas issued yearly; a supply falling short of the demands of US-based companies, who are more than eager to get the talent and skill for a fraction of the cost. Over the years, H-1B has become the conduit for the fruition of millions of meritocratic hopes. No longer did you need to come from an affluent background, have industry connections, or be limited to the circumstances you were born into. For the first time, access to first-world luxury was starting to look attainable.

Cut to September 19th, US President Donald Trump announced the price of skilled worker permits was to be raised to $100,000. Almost 50 times the original cost.