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‘$100 isn’t going to stop us from hiring the best’: Hoarding by a US company at IIT-Delhi placement reads

The Donald Trump administration has launched a massive crackdown to check 'abuse' of the H-1B visa programme, which is used by companies, particularly technology firms, to employ foreign workers in the US.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 7, 2025 09:24 AM IST

iit delhi placement trends - image via iit delhi

IIT Delhi consistently features as one of the most preferred destinations for engineering aspirants, largely owing to its strong industry connections and placement record. (Image via IIT-D)

While Donald Trump’s administration has reportedly ordered an enhanced vetting of H-1B visa applicants for highly skilled workers, a hoarding by a US-based artificial intelligence recruitment firm has grabbed eyeballs at IIT-Delhi. The hoardings have lines like “We still sponsor H-one-Bs” and “One hundred thousand dollars isn’t going to stop us from hiring the best”.

The campaign comes at a time when many students are worried about stricter US visa norms that many experts believe would impact the placements. In September, the US government announced an increase in the fees for new applications for H1-B visas to $100. Many aspiring candidates fear that stricter visa norms may reduce their opportunities, as companies would invest in those with experience rather than a fresher.

However, for many students in the middle of a their placement season, the hoardings seem to have struck a chord and gave relief.

Rohan Gupta, a BTech student at IIT-Delhi, said the ads felt encouraging. “I saw the post on social media… It was very good marketing. It gave us an assurance that companies still believe in Indian students, even if visa rules become stricter,” Gupta said.

Read | OPT hope, H1B hurdles: Indian students in US grapple with changing visa rules

Another student from the institute, Priya, said the viral post shows how much Indian talent is valued abroad.

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“People everywhere know how strong Indian students are when it comes to tech and AI. So, seeing a company openly say it will keep sponsoring visas really feels comforting,” she said.

For those from middle-class or lower-middle-class families, the fear of missing out on global exposure due to high visa fees is real, the students claimed.

Read | Will the H-1B visa rule impact upcoming placement season in engineering and management colleges?

Arjun, a BTech student at ITT-Delhi, said overseas opportunities offer a kind of learning that is hard to match.

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“We want to work in India for sure. But the exposure one gets abroad, in a diverse and fast-moving environment, is different. Strict visa rules are a big setback. So companies offering sponsorship is a huge thing for us,” he said.

Another student, reacting to the overall mood on campus, said the viral hoarding has added to the emotions of placement time.

“It is placement season, so there is a mix of fear and excitement,” the student said.

The Donald Trump administration has launched a massive crackdown to check ‘abuse’ of the H-1B visa programme, which is used by companies, particularly technology firms, to employ foreign workers in the US.

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Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders.

Under the proclamation, certain H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025, must be accompanied by an additional USD 100,000 fee as a condition of eligibility.