Edelweiss’ Radhika Gupta reacts to Donald Trump's H-1B visa fee hike: ‘I wouldn’t want to go back…’

Edelweiss Mutual Fund's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Radhika Gupta, reacted to Donald Trump's move to increase the H-1B visa fees. The US H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa needed for foreign nationals who want to work in the United States.

Radhika Gupta, empathising with the Indian students studying abroad, shared how back in her time in the United States, the federal government's H-1B visa norms were ‘more favourable’ for the students who wanted to work in the US after completing their graduation.

She mentioned how things took a turn after the 2008 financial crisis, after which many Indian students living in America started to feel lost or stuck in their places.

“I was fortunate to graduate in 2005, when H-1B norms were far more favourable in the US. But things changed quickly in 2008 during the financial crisis — many Indian students felt upset, lost, and stuck,” said Gupta in her recent post on social media platform LinkedIn.

Did Radhika Gupta study in the US?

According to LinkedIn data, Radhika Gupta completed her BSE in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, United States, and her BSc in Economics from the Wharton School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the year 2005.

After completing her graduation, Gupta went on to work with the consultancy giant, McKinsey and Co., as a Business Analyst for more than one year before shifting to AQR Capital Management in August 2006.

In her post, Gupta recalled how some students returned after the visa norms became comparatively stricter after 2008, while others who had the H-1B visa also did not want to work in the US anymore.

“Some eventually returned home, and years later, even those of us who still had the visa made the same choice. Today, we’ve built fulfilling lives here — with tremendous professional opportunities and the deeper joy of creating in our own country,” she said.

On a personal note, Gupta shares how, if she had the chance, she would never go back to the United States, now that India is offering opportunities for its youth within the nation.

“Personally, I wouldn’t want to go back — at all,” said Radhika Gupta in her post.

Gupta's advice for students

Radhika Gupta shares some advice for students studying in the US who must be feeling a mix of emotions after US President Donald Trump's announcement of the H-1B visa fee hike.

She emphasised that one opportunity closing its door is not the end of the upcoming potentials that may come in someone's way. Gupta said that students should now look at India, which is different in 2025 than it was two decades ago.

“So, if you’re on a US campus right now feeling shaken or disheartened, I know what that feels like. But remember: when one door closes, many others open back home. And India of 2025 is a far more exciting place than India of 2005 ever was,” said Gupta in her post.

Trump's H-1B Visa Fee Hike

Mint reported earlier that US President Donald Trump, on Friday, 19 September 2025, announced that the federal government has decided to impose a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas for high-skill foreign professionals who want to work in the United States.

Trump also unveiled a $1 million “gold card” visa, which aims to offer wealthy foreign individuals a pathway towards US citizenship.

The move by the Donald Trump-led administration comes as the US government aims to end practices where foreign workers “take jobs from hard-working Americans” and exploit the nation's economy without making meaningful contributions, according to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Through this new policy change, the US government aims to make sure that the foreign workers provide a “significant benefit” to the nation's economy and its people.