H-1B fee hike by US to hit Indian IT firms

NEW DELHI: In what may come as another concern for Indian IT firms operating in the United States, the Donald Trump administration is proposing a hike in H-1B visa fee in order to increase funding for expansion of an apprentice programme, which trains American youths in technology-related work. “In FY 2020, the (Labour) Department included a budget of $160 million to continue our expansion of apprenticeship programmes, along with a proposal to increase H-1B (visa fee) to fund additional apprenticeship activities,” US Labour Secretary Alexander Acosta was quoted as telling lawmakers.