September 24, 2025

Hold on to your hats! The US government has tossed a giant $100,000 fee into the H-1B visa pot for all new applications made after September 21. This new rule, which also covers the FY2026 lottery, means companies will need to pay a hefty sum if they want to send workers to the US on this visa. But wait, there's more! USCIS made it clear: if your visa petition was filed before the magic deadline of 12:01 am on September 21, or if you are renewing or re-entering the US on an old H-1B, this fee does NOT apply. Amid this drama, Happiest Minds Technologies, a mid-sized IT firm, is waving a calm flag. Most of its employees work from India, so the massive fee hike is only a tiny ripple for them. "Over the past 14 years, we have built a robust offshore-centric delivery model, with 94 per cent of our people based in India and nearly 95 per cent of our revenues generated outside of US onsite operations," said Venkatraman Narayanan, Managing Director at Happiest Minds. He proudly adds, "Our offshore centricity is a key differentiator." Just imagine! By June 2025, Happiest Minds has more than 6,500 people working across 43 offices worldwide and serves over 280 customers. The company is keeping its visa travels super low. In fact, only 4 employees in 2024 and 2 employees in 2025 so far have traveled to the US on H-1B visas. CEO Joseph Anantharaju calls this their "H-1B Outlier Advantage" and predicts that other Indian IT firms, which depend more on H-1B visas, will have to find their own ways to adapt. So, while the US tries to make H-1B visas costlier, Happiest Minds is quietly sailing through, thanks to smart strategy and offshore strength. A spicy move in the IT visa saga that many eyes will watch!

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Tags: H-1b visa, Visa fee increase, Happiest minds, It sector, Uscis, Indian it companies,