45% H-1B Indians in US will return if forced, 24% fear pay cuts in India

Indian poll finds 45% on H-1B would return home if forced to leave US, as new rule changes and rising deportation risks unsettle professionals

If Indians working in America with H-1B or L-1 visas had to leave the US due to job loss, where would they most likely go? Return to India. This was the response of 45 per cent of Indian professionals in the US when asked in a poll on Blind, the anonymous community app for verified professionals. Another 26 per cent said they would relocate to another country, while 29 per cent remained undecided. The growing uncertainty is reshaping long-term plans.

 

What is holding them back?

 

The biggest concerns about leaving the US were:

 

Pay cut (25 per cent)

 

Lower quality of life (24 per cent)

Cultural or family adjustment (13 per cent)

Fewer job opportunities (10 per cent)

 

When asked if they would choose a US work visa again, only 35 per cent said yes. The remaining 65 per cent were either unsure (27 per cent) or outright negative (38 per cent), pointing to a shift in sentiment about the long-term value of American immigration.

 

That discontent is rooted in personal stories. Over one in three (35 per cent) said either they or someone they knew had to leave the US after a job loss, often facing deportation risks during the short grace period. 

 

Deportation notices during grace period

 

H-1B visa holders also reported rising cases of deportation notices being issued before the 60-day grace period had ended. One in six said they or someone they knew had received a Notice to Appear (NTA) within weeks of losing a job, putting them at risk of a permanent ban from the US.

 

Normally, laid-off H-1B workers are given 60 days to secure a new employer or switch status. Since mid-2025, however, there have been reports of NTAs arriving as early as two weeks into the period.

 

“Multiple cases where NTAs were sent in 2 weeks,” a Meta user wrote on Blind. “Immigration lawyers now advise leaving as soon as possible after \[the] job ends otherwise you risk a permanent ban from the US.”

 

Trump’s comments add fuel to debate

 

Donald Trump’s recent call for American companies to “stop hiring in India” has triggered sharp reactions. Blind’s survey found 63 per cent of US-based professionals felt the move could benefit their firms, while 69 per cent of India-based respondents believed it would harm their companies.

 

The poll was conducted on Blind between July 28 and August 8, 2025. 

 

Further changes may make US education less attractive

 

On August 8, the US Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OMB) cleared a proposal to alter H-1B visa rules. The plan, titled “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions,” is now with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for public comment.

 

“While the text of the proposed rule has not yet been released, the proposal could potentially replace the current random H-1B lottery system with a wage-based selection process,” said Sheela Murthy, president and CEO of the Murthy Law Firm.

 

The measure revives an attempt from Trump’s first term to prioritise higher salaries. “In January 2021, near the end of Trump’s first term in office, he unsuccessfully attempted to implement a rule that would have tied the H-1B lottery selection process to the wage level. Presumably, the new rule will be similar to the 2021 rule,” said Joel Yanovich, attorney at the Murthy Law Firm.

 

“Right now, the H-1B selection is like a lucky draw — you enter the lottery and hope your name comes up. Under the wage-based system, luck takes a back seat. USCIS would see the salaries being offered for H-1B visas and select applications starting from the highest going down until the annual cap was exhausted,” said Sanjay Laul, founder of MSM Unify.

 

The H-1B cap currently allows 85,000 visas annually, of which 65,000 are for general applicants and 20,000 are reserved for those with a US master’s degree or higher. If applications exceed the quota, a computerised lottery is run. The programme is widely used by technology firms.

 

“If the rule is substantially similar to the 2021 rule, cap-subject H-1B petitions filed for entry-level positions would likely have next-to-no chance of being selected. This would undoubtedly harm foreign nationals who are recent graduates,” said Yanovich.