Overview

• Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met senior Trump administration officials in Washington as India pressed for easier access for skilled workers and movement of professionals.
• New Delhi is seeking to expand talks that had focused on goods to now include services and people mobility following the H-1B policy change.
• President Trump announced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications; the White House clarified it applies only once to new petitions and will start with the next lottery cycle.
• Indians receive roughly two-thirds of H-1B visas, and reports say the fee could strain India’s $280 billion IT services sector and related jobs.
• Key obstacles persist, including high U.S. tariffs on Indian exports—with a 25% levy linked to Russian oil purchases—and contentious agricultural market access that experts say will be hard to resolve.