"Fix your foreign policy, speak plainly": Congress' Pramod Tiwari criticises PM Modi over H1B visa fee hike

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 21 (ANI): Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent hike in H-1B visa fees by the United States, and urged him to “fix foreign policy” and “speak plainly.”

Tiwari also stressed the need for stronger representation of India’s stance.

Speaking to ANI, Pramod Tiwari said, “…Prime Minister Modi has received a return gift. Overall, this is a blow to India’s talented people…Prime Minister Modi says we need to increase self-reliance. Who was stopping you for 11 years? Why didn’t you increase self-reliance?”

“Fix your foreign policy, speak plainly. Strongly represent India’s stance on tampering with the future of our millions of youth,” Tiwari said.

US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) made a major overhaul to the H-1B visa programme, imposing a steep USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications.

Meanwhile, earlier, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that the USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications will only apply to the new applicants and not to the petitions submitted prior to September 21.

“This proclamation only applies prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed. The proclamation does not apply to aliens who: are the beneficiaries of petitions that were filed prior to the effective date of the proclamation, are the beneficiaries of currently approved petitions, or are in possession of validly issued H-1B non-immigrant visas,” Joseph B Edlow, Director of USCIS, clarified in a memorandum on Saturday (local time).

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed that the USD 100,000 fee on the H-1B visa application is a one-time fee, clarifying the misconception that it is an annual fee.

“To be clear: This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders,” Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X.

She also informed that the fee will not be charged on H-1B visa holders who are currently outside of the country. (ANI)

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