Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], September 20 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Saturday reacted with a mix of humour and scepticism to US President Donald Trump's Executive Order raising the H-1B visa sponsorship fee to $100,000.

While speaking to ANI, the Deputy Chief Minister said, 'I pray to God and wait for him to get some wisdom.'

Trump's order mandates companies to pay $100,000 annually for H-1B visa petitions, aiming to curb perceived abuses and prioritise American workers.

US president Donald Trump's residential proclamation titled 'Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers' imposed a USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications.

Trump's order may impact Indians as they comprise about 70% of H-1B visa holders, making them significantly affected by this policy shift.

The steep fee may deter companies, especially smaller ones, from sponsoring foreign workers and could push Indian talent toward alternatives like Canada or Europe.

Earlier in the day, Bikram Chabhal, president of the Association of Visa and IELTS Centres (AVIC), said the move would hit Indian workers the hardest.

'70% of H-1B visa holders are Indians. After the Indians come the Chinese, followed by people from other countries. Previously, the total fee was $215, plus another $750. Now, it translates to eighty-eight lakh plus in Indian rupees,' Chabhal said.

He added, 'I believe these companies will have to struggle a lot in the future. If a company has to pay a fee of one lakh dollars every year, then companies won't be able to afford that much money.'

Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised PM Modi's silence on the issue and claimed that US President Donald Trump insults India every day.

The Congress leader also claimed that if the Prime Minister had announced on the floor that Trump is a liar, the whole country would have supported him.

'Trump is insulting us every day. But the PM is silent. Rahul Gandhi gave him an opportunity to speak on the Floor of the House that Trump is a liar. Had he said that, the country would have stood with him. Today, the entire country is questioning the PM,' Khera told ANI.

Meanwhile, US president on Friday (local time) issued a new presidential proclamation titled 'Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers' that introduces a major overhaul to the H-1B visa programme, imposing a steep USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, raising fresh questions about whether this is a much-needed correction or a potentially crippling blow to America's tech talent pipeline.

The move is likely to affect Indians seeking jobs in the technology and IT sectors in the US, and has led to strong criticism from the Opposition. (ANI)