Prominent Indian American immigration attorney Aparna Dave has described the Trump administration’s latest H-1B visa reforms as a “light over darkness” moment for international students pursuing the American dream. Speaking at the “Diaspora at the Crossroads: Law, Policy and Opportunities” conference held in Maryland, Dave highlighted that the new regulations will open more doors for students seeking higher education and employment opportunities in the United States.
The updated H-1B policy, which came into effect in September 2025 following a presidential proclamation, is designed to prioritize candidates with advanced degrees from American universities. Under the restructured system, applicants holding master’s or doctoral degrees from US institutions now have a greater likelihood of being selected in the visa lottery.
According to the Trump administration, this approach aims to retain highly skilled talent that has already been trained at American universities. By encouraging these graduates to stay and contribute to the economy, the policy seeks to strengthen the nation’s global competitiveness in technology and research.
However, the reforms also introduce stricter employer requirements and significantly higher filing costs—reportedly as high as $100,000 for certain companies. These changes have sparked concerns among smaller businesses and startups, which fear they may be priced out of the process and lose access to international talent.
Supporters of the policy argue that prioritizing applicants with advanced US degrees will help curb visa misuse and ensure that only the most qualified professionals are selected. They believe the new wage and qualification guidelines will strengthen the integrity of the H-1B program while rewarding high-skilled workers who have invested in American education.
Critics, however, warn that the sharp increase in application fees could narrow diversity within the tech and innovation sectors, which traditionally rely on contributions from smaller firms and global talent pools. Immigration analysts suggest that the true outcome of these reforms will only become clear once the next H-1B lottery cycle begins in early 2026.
For now, Dave’s optimistic outlook echoes the sentiment among many international graduates who see the changes as a positive step toward achieving long-term educational and professional goals in the United States.
