India, Sept. 30 -- Nasscom, India's IT industry body, has said that the US government's proclamation introducing a USD 100,000 surcharge on new H-1B petitions represents a major shift in skilled worker policy. While the clarification that this is a one-time fee has eased some uncertainty, the implications remain significant, particularly for mid-tier Indian IT firms whose business models are closely tied to onsite delivery.

Early reactions within the industry ranged from disbelief to rapid damage control. Recruiters paused inbound offers to US clients, account heads held emergency calls with onshore sponsors, and finance teams began recalculating project margins. For firms operating on low-margin onsite contracts, the sudden per-visa cos...