Highlights:
- California Democrat Ami Bera says higher visa fees will damage US innovation.
- He warns companies may expand in India if they cannot access skilled workers at home.
- Bera points to Peter Navarro’s role in pushing anti-India policies.
- Despite tensions, he believes Trump and Modi’s personal ties could ease relations.
A Silicon Valley Congressman takes aim at visa fees
Congressman Ami Bera, who represents Sacramento at the heart of California’s innovation corridor, has warned that President Trump’s steep hike in H-1B visa fees will backfire on American businesses and risk shifting jobs overseas.
“These are workers who are filling vital roles,” Bera said during a visit to India. “If you’re a Microsoft executive and you can’t get the workers you need, you might expand your presence in India.”
The order, which raised visa fees to $100,000, stunned both industry and lawmakers. “Congress was not informed ahead of time,” Bera said. “This was a chaotic rollout that creates huge uncertainty, even inside the administration.”
Navarro in the spotlight
Bera suggested that Peter Navarro, the president’s trade adviser, was driving anti-India measures from tariffs to sanctions. “It sounds like something Navarro would come up with,” he said, adding that such rhetoric, including recent comments on India and the Russia-Ukraine war, was damaging to bilateral ties.
India singled out
The Congressman questioned why India was being targeted with tariffs while other countries buying Russian oil, including China, escaped similar penalties. “It doesn’t make any strategic sense to single out India in this way,” he said.
Bera argued that most members of Congress, from both parties, recognize India’s rise as a stabilising force in Asia and a natural partner for the United States.
Balancing chaos with chemistry
Despite his criticism, Bera pointed to the strong personal rapport between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a possible stabiliser. “They’re fond of each other. This is a hiccup,” he said. “A meeting between the two leaders would be positive, not negative.”
Bera is leading a Congressional delegation to India to meet with government officials, CEOs, and defense leaders. For him, the long-term partnership remains crucial. “The 21st century is not going to be led by America alone,” he said. “It will depend on real partnerships—with India, Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia. We have to work together.”
