Mahesh Bongani

Will the new $100K H1B fee reshape IT hiring in Germany? In the US, companies will now pay $100K per year for every foreign professional on an H1B visa. - Will this give Germany and the EU a competitive edge in attracting talent? - Or will engineers look elsewhere? - Or maybe US companies will simply open offices abroad to hedge political risks. What does that mean for Germany? 👉 4–5 years ago, we had to hunt for every IT role. 👉 Today, we get hundreds of applications for most tech jobs. 👉 Exceptions: product, security, and embedded engineering. I expect even more engineers coming — from India (Chancenkarte) and from German universities. Many already spend 3–4 months job hunting. The biggest imbalance? Language. With B1–B2 German → you’re hired. 🥰 Without → most doors stay closed. 🥸 And with fewer English-speaking vacancies, unemployment risk grows. 💡 My advice to every professional coming to Germany: Learn German. It’s the single biggest factor in landing a job in Germany 🇩🇪

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India just minted its youngest billionaire and he didn’t come from IT or Bollywood. He came from AI. At just 31 years old, Aravind Srinivas has become India’s youngest billionaire, with a net worth of over ₹21,000 crore. And the way he did it reveals something deeper about India's place in the global AI race. Let’s break it down 👇 Aravind grew up in Chennai, taught himself coding after IIT Madras initially resisted his switch into machine learning, and later went on to do a PhD at UC Berkeley. Along the way, he worked at OpenAI, DeepMind, and Google, contributing to breakthroughs such as DALL-E 2. But the turning point came in 2022. Frustrated by how traditional search engines returned endless links instead of answers, he founded Perplexity AI with a mission: a conversational answer engine that gives you direct, verifiable responses. The result? By 2025: -780M+ monthly queries worldwide -$165M+ raised from Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, Databricks & others -A game-changing Airtel partnership that gave 360M Indians free access to Perplexity Pro India overtook the US as its largest user base This growth catapulted him into the billionaire club faster than any Indian founder before him. But here’s what makes his story stand out: 1/ He rejected acquisition offers from Apple & Meta, betting on long-term independence. 2/ He’s backing startups like ElevenLabs and Suno, and plans a fund for Indian AI founders. 3/ He sees Perplexity not just as a product, but as part of India’s shift from IT services to deep-tech leadership. So, the real question is, will Perplexity remain an AI search challenger, or will it become the backbone of how billions get answers? Because Aravind Srinivas isn’t just India’s youngest billionaire. He’s a signal that India’s next global product story might not be IT outsourcing it might be AI itself. Do you think this is Indian's open AI moment or just the beginning of something bigger?

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H-1B lottery 2025 is happening right now. If you don’t get chosen, here are 6 alternatives. (Save this 📌) In 2024, a total of 442,000 unique beneficiaries submitted H-1B registrations, out of which 135,000 were selected. Every year, tens of thousands don’t get picked in the H-1B lottery. But that doesn’t mean your U.S. career is over. There are a few alternatives that don’t rely on luck. ✅ Here are 6 solid options you can explore: 1. F-1 Visa (OPT & STEM OPT) – Go back to school for a higher degree & get OPT. Cost: → Visa fee (MRV): $185 → SEVIS fee: $350 2. O-1 Visa – For individuals with extraordinary ability. Cost: → Filing fee: $1,655 (includes $1,055 + $600 Asylum Program fee) → Legal fees: $5,000–$15,000 3. L-1 Visa – Transfer abroad & return after a year. Cost: → Filing fees: $1,655 (for most applicants; smaller employers may pay less) → Legal fees: $3,000–$8,000 4. H-4 EAD – Work authorization for spouses of H-1B holders. Cost: → Filing fee: $410 → Legal fees: $500–$2,500 (if using a lawyer) 5. International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP) – For startup founders with U.S. investor funding. Cost: → Filing fee: $340 (plus additional documentation costs) → Legal fees: $5,000–$15,000 6. Other Countries – Canada, UK, and India offer solid career paths. Cost: → Canada: Work permit ~ CAD $155 (~₹9,300) → UK: Skilled Worker visa ~ £719–£1,639 📌 Swipe through the carousel for a breakdown of each option—including costs, benefits, and challenges. 🌿 Please re-share this post so it helps more people. 🎁 Don’t miss out on the free guide on O-1: https://lnkd.in/d8fNeYUi

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USCIS just clarified the new H-1B fee structure. This is a major update for any US companies hiring international talent. Effective September 21, 2025 Who pays the new fee ❓ → Candidates outside the U.S. without a valid H-1B visa → Initial H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025 → Change of status denials requiring consular processing Who's exempt ❓ → Valid H-1B visa holders → Approved H-1B petitions before September 21, 2025 → Renewals and extensions for current H-1B holders → Change of status applicants already in the U.S. (including F-1 to H-1B transitions) Strategic implications: For F-1 visa holders: Change of status applications filed while in the U.S. remain exempt from the new fee. However, if your change of status is denied and you must pursue consular processing, the fee applies. For international applicants: Those applying from outside the U.S. will face additional costs when pursuing initial H-1B sponsorship. For current H-1B holders: Renewals and extensions remain unaffected by the new fee structure. This is very critical to understand all US companies looking to hire international talent. At Beyond Border we help companies consider alternative US visa pathways like O-1, L-1, and EB-1/EB-2 Green Cards to hire your international talents into US. Reach out for a free consultation on your US immigration strategy. #H1Bvisa #immigration #USCIS #visafees #F1visa #changeofstatus #immigrationstrategy

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💼 Why Even Top Tech Professionals Face 214(b) Visa Refusals and What to Learn From It A senior tech lead earning over ₹1 crore a year was recently denied a U.S. business visa after a brief 3-question interview. His purpose? To attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2025 in Atlanta, a legitimate global tech conference. Despite his high income, international travel history, and clear professional intent, the officer refused the visa under Section 214(b) which simply means: “The officer was not convinced you’ll return home.” Here’s what may have gone wrong 👇 - The conference visit may have been viewed as optional, not essential to his job. - He provided no strong family or property ties in India. - His travel history (Lithuania, Maldives, Indonesia) didn’t include high-trust destinations like the U.S. or UK. - He may not have shown clear employer sponsorship or return obligations. ------ 💡 Key takeaway: 214(b) refusals aren’t about your salary or skill — they’re about perceived intent. Every applicant must prove deep ties to their home country and a compelling reason to return after the visit. ✅ For future applicants: - Try to utilise the form DS-160 to present more facts, try to include any facts that could show change in circumstances or additional information which was not presented earlier. - Carry a strong employer letter showing business need and continued employment in India. - Highlight your return plans and responsibilities. - Keep answers short, factual, and confident. The B-1 visa isn’t a test of your success - it’s a test of your credibility and intent. ----- https://lnkd.in/gA6MKfwa #USTravel #VisaInterview #214b #USConsulate #OPT #TechIndustry #ImmigrationInsights #TheVisaCode #USvisas #USvisanews

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India’s IT sector is facing a pivotal moment as the U.S. has imposed a new $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa petition—effective September 2025 and impacting only new applicants, not renewals or current holders reentering the country. With Indian professionals representing 71% of all H-1B approvals last year, this policy shift could reshape global talent flows and strategic priorities for tech businesses. For India’s $283B IT industry, which derives over 57% of its revenues from U.S. markets, the cost escalation makes traditional onsite project rotations less viable for large and midsize firms. Open-source USCIS data shows top sponsors in 2025—Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, and Meta—would face multi-million dollar annual costs under the new regime, fundamentally challenging established offshore-onsite talent models. As U.S. client firms reassess in-country hiring and tech delivery, this disruption presents India with a defining opportunity: to accelerate investments in remote delivery, talent upskilling, and “digital offshoring,” while differentiating through agility, workforce scale, and niche expertise. AGP Talent Consulting stands ready to help clients and candidates turn today’s global talent headwinds into tomorrow’s competitive edge. AGP Talent Consulting Bharat T. #H1BVisa #Indiatechhiring #ITjobs

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With currently 70% of H-1B visas going to Indian talent, the future of U.S. tech could be fundamentally reshaped💡 The U.S. has introduced a $100,000 annual fee for new H-1B visas The impact on tech: •Startups will struggle to access global talent, slowing growth and increasing costs. •Only the top roles get international hires, driving intense competition for talent locally. •More top talent from India stay home, boosting the strength of tech hubs like Bangalore and Hyderabad. •Canada, Europe, and Asia could attract tech talent to the the U.S. The talent war isn’t ending — it’s moving. 👉 What do you think: a short-term protection for U.S. jobs, or a long-term risk for innovation?

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New Avenues China’s new K visa from Oct 1, 2025 offers Indian techies in the US an alternative to costly, uncertain H-1B paths. Open to young STEM talent without requiring a Chinese employer, it allows flexible stays for research, study, or entrepreneurship. For Indians seeking opportunities closer to home, it could reshape career moves in Asia.

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🚨 H-1B Lottery May End — New U.S. Immigration Rule Approved The White House has approved a major overhaul to the H-1B visa selection process. Instead of the current lottery system, candidates may soon be ranked by skills, experience, and salary level — favoring higher-paid, more experienced applicants. Key points: → Proposal from DHS & USCIS cleared by the Office of Management and Budget on Aug 8. → Would replace random selection with a weighted, wage-based ranking. → High earners and highly skilled candidates would be prioritized. → Targeted implementation: March 2026 (before FY 2027 cap). → Similar wage-based rule proposed in 2021 under Trump but shelved by Biden. 📊 Impact: Could reshape hiring patterns for U.S. companies and limit opportunities for lower-wage, entry-level tech workers — especially fresh graduates.

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