The United States’ expanded travel ban—implemented at 00:01 EST on 1 January 2026 under Presidential Proclamation 10998—now blocks or restricts visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries, while concurrently increasing multiple immigration-related filing fees .
Although India is not on the list, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has “flagged concerns” with Washington over cascading effects on H-1B adjudication times, which lengthened in Q4 2025 as consular resources were diverted to handle waiver petitions from newly banned nations. Indian tech firms have already reported onboarding delays for staff relocating under approved petitions.
In this fluid environment, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can help employers and travelers track country-specific entry rules, assemble compliant documentation and even arrange expedited U.S. visa submissions, allowing corporate mobility teams to sidestep bureaucratic surprises while staying on budget.
![US expands travel ban to 39 countries and raises immigration fees; India presses for faster H-1B processing]()
Fee hikes include a 10 % increase for Employment Authorization Documents and a US$2 rise in annual asylum-application charges. Corporate immigration teams must adjust cost forecasts for L-1 and green-card filings, whose ancillary EAD fees rise to US$560.
African states Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger retaliated with entry bans on US citizens, signalling possible tit-for-tat measures that could affect Indian project teams travelling through those countries on US-based contracts. Multinational mobility heads are therefore monitoring dual-citizen employees who may fall under the US restrictions.
Law firms advise Indian employers to front-load premium-processing upgrades and budget for higher filing fees before the next USCIS increase expected in September 2026.
Although India is not on the list, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has “flagged concerns” with Washington over cascading effects on H-1B adjudication times, which lengthened in Q4 2025 as consular resources were diverted to handle waiver petitions from newly banned nations. Indian tech firms have already reported onboarding delays for staff relocating under approved petitions.
In this fluid environment, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can help employers and travelers track country-specific entry rules, assemble compliant documentation and even arrange expedited U.S. visa submissions, allowing corporate mobility teams to sidestep bureaucratic surprises while staying on budget.
Fee hikes include a 10 % increase for Employment Authorization Documents and a US$2 rise in annual asylum-application charges. Corporate immigration teams must adjust cost forecasts for L-1 and green-card filings, whose ancillary EAD fees rise to US$560.
African states Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger retaliated with entry bans on US citizens, signalling possible tit-for-tat measures that could affect Indian project teams travelling through those countries on US-based contracts. Multinational mobility heads are therefore monitoring dual-citizen employees who may fall under the US restrictions.
Law firms advise Indian employers to front-load premium-processing upgrades and budget for higher filing fees before the next USCIS increase expected in September 2026.
