(1) Trump signs proclamation imposing $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications
The U.S., President Donald Trump on Friday (September 19, 2025) signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H-1B visas to a staggering $100,000 annually, the latest in the administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration. However, after the initial unease among those already in the U.S. and with approved H1B visas, the Trump administration clarified that the new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications will will be a ‘one time’ payment and apply only to new cases, not to existing holders reentering the U.S.
News of the proclamation set off a scramble across the Indian H-1B community, with workers rushing to airports in hopes of getting back into the United States before the measure took effect. Immigration lawyers reported a surge of frantic calls from clients fearing they would be locked out or saddled with the hefty new levy, underscoring the uncertainty that followed the announcement.
A total of 68,825 Indians’ H1B petitions for initial employment were approved in U.S.’s Fiscal Year 2023, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as shown in the graphic below.
“Fee ($100,000) is only for new H-1B (applicants). Current H-1B visa holders will not have to pay to return to the U.S.,” a senior administration official told 5WH. Such an assurance from the Trump Administration may calm immediate anxieties, but leaves broader uncertainty over the future of skilled immigration.
Mr. Trump signed the executive order on Friday (September 19, 2025), arguing the $100,000 annual charge on new H-1B petitions would curb abuses by outsourcing firms that replace U.S. workers with cheaper foreign labour. The order also directs federal agencies to raise prevailing wage levels and prioritise high-skilled, high-paid applicants, part of what the White House described as an effort to “put American workers first”.
Indian nationals, who account for more than 70% of H-1B approvals in recent years, are expected to feel the sharpest impact of the new fee, observers say. Around 58% of those seeking H1B approvals for initial employment were Indians, as per USCIS data.
In India’s first response, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the full implications of the order are being studied by “all concerned”.
“Skilled labour mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India. Policy makers will therefore assess the recent steps, taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the two countries. This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the U.S. authorities,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The proclamation could devastate India’s IT services industry. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro have built empires on a simple arbitrage: import Indian engineers willing to work for substantially less than their American counterparts. Their business model depended on H-1B visas costing a few thousand dollars in filing fees, making it economical to flood the system with applications and cherry-pick the most cost-effective workers.
At $100,000 per visa, this lottery system becomes prohibitively expensive.
(2) Rains batters Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand yet again
This year’s monsoon in Himachal Pradesh has been one of the deadliest ever with the overall death toll at 424, according to the State Disaster Management Authority’s latest cumulative report. Of those dead, 242 lost their lives in rain-related incidents and 182 in road accidents. About 481 people have suffered injuries, while 45 are still missing. The Himalayan state has witnessed 46 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods and 146 major landslides.
A fresh spate of rain-related incidents has hit Himachal Pradesh after multiple landslides were reported on Friday (September 19, 2025), further disrupting life in the state. After a landslide struck near a prominent school in Shimla, which forced the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days, another such disaster struck Kangra district.
From September 11 to 17, six (of 12) districts in Himachal received more than 100% excess of average rainfall, as shown in the graphic below.
Meanwhile, five more bodies were recovered on Friday (September 19) from the rain-ravaged villages in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district as rescue teams dug through debris and waded through sludge in search of the missing. With this, the toll has climbed to seven. Two bodies were recovered on Thursday (September 18).
Around 2,500 tourists were stranded in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) as the road from Dehradun to the popular hill station remained closed for the second consecutive day following cloudbursts and heavy rain in the capital.
(3) More countries recognise Palestine as State
Ahead of the United Nations summit on September 22, 2025, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia recognised Palestinian statehood in a significant development. Of the 193-nation UN membership, 147 countries currently recognise Palestine as a state.
The three countries recognised Palestine’s statehood after other European nations like Norway, Spain, Ireland and others did the same last year. However, the true impact of more countries recognising Palestine has been under debate.
Some say that the recognition does little on the ground in terms of giving Palestine any immediate say in international bodies. However, in the long term, Palestine becoming a recognised State opens up doors to negotiations with other countries on an equal footing, and the development of diplomatic ties (and allies) with them.
Norway, for its part, said that its recognition was meant as a step closer to establishing a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine can co-exist peacefully as two states. However, the U.S., a staunch Israel ally, holds a powerful veto in the Security Council.
A Pew survey among U.S. adults in March this year showed that 52% of the survey respondents said a way cannot be found for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully.
(4) UN’s Gaza ceasefire resolution vetoed by the U.S.
The U.S. vetoed a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in the United Nations Security Council, once again using its veto vote as a permanent member to reject the proposal.
Since October 18, the UNSC has introduced resolutions calling for a ceasefire in the area, but no long-standing resolution has been passed yet, with one of the permanent members casting a veto against the resolutions.
One of the sticking points for the U.S. continues to be that the demands, including a ceasefire, were not directly linked to the unconditional release of hostages and would only embolden Hamas militants.
Meanwhile, fatalities from the war have continued to rise. The UN declared a famine in Gaza after aid supplies dwindled and food insecurity increased. Displacements and damages have reached new highs since the conflict began close to three years ago.
The upcoming summit of the United Nations is expected to address some issues related to the conflict, including the recognition of Palestine as an independent State.
(5) Key winners at the 77th Emmy Awards
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards closed out in Los Angeles with a ceremony that balanced expected sweeps and genuine surprises, as The Pitt emerged as the drama series victor, The Studio cemented its historic debut in comedy, and Adolescence confirmed its status as a frontrunner in limited series.
As expected, Adolescence dominated the limited series field, taking the top award alongside acting wins for Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, and breakout 15-year-old Owen Cooper. It also added trophies for supporting actor Ashley Walters, writing, and directing. That sweep confirmed its status as the year’s most decorated limited series. The Penguin, which led the Creative Arts Emmys last week, settled for a single acting win via Cristin Milioti’s lead actress performance.
Here’s a full list of winners at the Emmys 2025: