Hours after the new USD 100,000 H-1B sponsorship fee came into force, California-based AI recruitment firm Metaview plastered “We Still Sponsor H-1Bs” hoardings around IIT-Delhi and flooded LinkedIn with the same message. The campaign, confirmed on 4 December, seeks to reassure Indian tech talent that the company will absorb the cost because “USD 100k is a rounding error compared to the value each engineer creates,” co-founder Shahriar Tajbakhsh said.
The marketing gambit has gone viral, with students sharing images under the hashtag #HireRegardless. Metaview told local media it plans to file more petitions in the next H-1B lottery despite the fee, positioning itself as an employer of choice for international graduates deterred by other firms’ cost concerns.
![US start-up’s ‘We still sponsor H-1Bs’ billboards in India counter USD 100k fee shock]()
For Indian applicants, the signal is significant: nearly 70 percent of H-1Bs historically go to Indian nationals, and many fear reduced sponsorship. Immigration lawyers say deep-pocketed tech start-ups may follow Metaview’s lead, while cost-sensitive consultancies could scale back filings or shift hiring to Canada and Mexico.
Mobility managers should prepare for uneven policy across vendors: some clients will pay; others will relocate roles offshore. Meanwhile, New Delhi continues to lobby Washington for humanitarian exemptions and student safeguards.
The marketing gambit has gone viral, with students sharing images under the hashtag #HireRegardless. Metaview told local media it plans to file more petitions in the next H-1B lottery despite the fee, positioning itself as an employer of choice for international graduates deterred by other firms’ cost concerns.
For Indian applicants, the signal is significant: nearly 70 percent of H-1Bs historically go to Indian nationals, and many fear reduced sponsorship. Immigration lawyers say deep-pocketed tech start-ups may follow Metaview’s lead, while cost-sensitive consultancies could scale back filings or shift hiring to Canada and Mexico.
Mobility managers should prepare for uneven policy across vendors: some clients will pay; others will relocate roles offshore. Meanwhile, New Delhi continues to lobby Washington for humanitarian exemptions and student safeguards.
