In August 2026, the United States is experiencing an unprecedented shift in immigration policy that is radically changing the face of the American technology sector. Decisions made by the Donald Trump administration, particularly the introduction of a new fee of $100,000 for H-1B visas, have forced thousands of highly skilled professionals from India and China to leave the country. This step, aimed at protecting the domestic labor market, has effectively become a powerful catalyst for a "brain drain" back to countries of origin.
Economic Shock: From $2,000 to $100,000
The key factor triggering the mass exodus was the drastic tightening of financial conditions for obtaining a work visa. Just last year, American companies hiring foreign specialists paid between $2,000 and $5,000 for an H-1B visa. However, a new directive signed by President Trump established a fixed fee of $100,000 — a 25-fold increase. For major corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple, this has become a significant blow to hiring budgets, forcing them to rethink their talent acquisition strategies and, in some cases, abandon hiring foreign specialists.
Return Home: Exodus Statistics
The results of the new policy are already visible in the statistics. By 2025, it is projected that around 15,100 specialists will return to India, which is 55% more than the previous year. The story of 44-year-old Dipak (pseudonym), who left the US with his family in May 2026, became a typical example. He gave up the life he had been building for 15 years to return home, as he lost his job and could not afford the new conditions of stay. A similar trend is observed with Chinese students: last year, 536,000 graduates returned home, an 8.3% increase compared to 2024.
Impact on Tech Giants and the Labor Market
The trend of reducing the number of approved H-1B visa applications is confirmed by data from the 100 largest employers. In the 2026 fiscal year, a drop in the number of approved visas of more than 10% is projected compared to the previous year. The situation is exacerbated by labor market instability and the development of artificial intelligence, which has led to mass layoffs at companies like Meta, Visa, and Amazon. Amidst a reduction in vacancies and rising competition, foreign specialists, whose presence has become economically unviable for employers, are being pushed out of the US labor market.
Social Climate and Rise of Xenophobia
In addition to economic factors, the social environment influences the decision of specialists to leave the US. According to data from the AAPI Equity Alliance, social hostility and racist online attacks against Indians and Chinese have significantly increased. These two groups, making up about 82% of all H-1B visa holders, are the most educated and highest-paid immigrants in the country. The rise of anti-immigrant sentiment, combined with harsh economic policy, creates an atmosphere in which many specialists prefer to return to the more favorable environment of their home countries.
