India, Oct. 16 -- Last month, Donald Trump announced a fee of $100,000 for new H1-B visa applications. This meant that companies hiring working professionals from abroad had to pay this princely sum to facilitate their stay in the US.

The Trump administration's decision has had a disproportionate impact on Indian professionals, as they constitute a majority of H1-B visa beneficiaries (around 70% in recent years). This puts them far ahead of the Chinese (12%), who are the second-most H1-B visa earners.

However, a question arises in the minds of several Indians: Do the new rules also affect those who want to visit the US as tourists?

As per the official website of the US Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs, those seeking to ...