Dev Karlekar

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

25

Shifting Focus in Staffing & IT Services Over the past few months, I’ve been following an interesting shift: while the U.S. has long been the primary market for Indian staffing and IT services, many firms are now rebalancing — leaning into domestic demand while seeing softer growth in the U.S. 🔹 In the U.S. – Economic caution, proposed outsourcing taxes, and automation are changing how clients engage. Some IT majors have even reported dips in U.S. revenues, especially in non-critical or discretionary tech and healthcare projects. 🔹 In India – The flexi-staffing industry grew nearly 10% last year, driven by sectors like retail, FMCG, logistics, and energy. At the same time, Global Capability Centres and AI/cloud adoption are fueling demand for more specialized tech talent. Having supported both IT and Healthcare clients in the U.S. and Canada for 8+ years, I’ve seen first-hand how quickly priorities can shift when markets change. What’s happening now feels like a strategic hedge — firms are protecting margins, investing in higher-value skills, and balancing global headwinds with local opportunities. For me, this is a reminder that adaptability is at the core of staffing. Markets evolve, technology disrupts, but the ability to align talent with business outcomes remains our true differentiator. I’d love to hear from peers: How are you seeing this shift impact client programs or MSP partnerships in your sectors? #Staffing #MSP #ITStaffing #HealthcareStaffing #FutureOfWork #TalentStrategy

12

$100,000 fee for new visas only , does not apply to renewals or existing holders Important updates for H1B visa holders ending lot of confusion and troubles - 📌 $100,000 fee for new visas: U.S. employers sponsoring a new H-1B worker from abroad must pay a one-time fee of $100,000. 📌Affects new applicants only: The White House has clarified that the new fee applies only to new visas and will not affect existing H-1B holders or those seeking renewals. 📌$100,000 fee does not apply to renewals: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has explicitly stated that the new $100,000 fee applies "only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders". 📌No impact on existing holders: The proclamation does not affect anyone who already possesses a current, valid H-1B visa. This includes both H-1B holders who are inside the U.S. and those who may be traveling internationally. 📌Regular travel continues: Current H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country as they normally would, without being impacted by the new fee. 📌The fee is a one-time charge: For the new applicants who will be affected, the $100,000 is a one-time fee per petition and not an annual charge, despite earlier confusion caused by conflicting statements. #BestWishes

23

3 Comments

𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 We’re excited to announce that Saicon Consultants, Inc. has officially acquired Valethi Technologies, an innovative IT services firm based in Nagpur and Noida India with a talented team of 500+ professionals. With this acquisition, Saicon now proudly exceeds 1500+ employees worldwide, strengthening our global delivery capabilities and expanding our expertise in IT consulting, staffing, and digital transformation. Valethi’s team brings deep expertise across software development, cloud, AI, data analytics, QA, and enterprise technology, enhancing our ability to deliver world-class solutions with greater agility and scale. Our leadership team which includes Ramesh Lokre (CEO), Swati (Seema) Yelmar (President), Uday Inamdar (CEO, Saicon India), and Raj Cherukumudi (Sr. Vice President) recently met Rajeshwar N., CEO of Valethi Technologies, and his exceptional team in Nagpur. It was great to see such clear alignment in vision, technical strength, and a shared passion for delivering exceptional client outcomes. This acquisition reflects Saicon’s continued focus on:  - Over 28 years of trusted IT services experience in the U.S.  - A robust offshore delivery center in Noida, Nagpur and Pune -  A shared commitment to innovation, collaboration, and measurable client success As Saicon continues to grow globally, we’re excited about the opportunities this partnership will create for our clients, partners, and employees. 👉 Learn more about Valethi: www.valethi.com and Saicon: www.saicon.com #Saicon #Valethi #Acquisition #ITConsulting #DigitalTransformation #GlobalGrowth #OffshoreDevelopment #Leadership #Innovation #Teamwork #India #USA

273

68 Comments

#HealthManagementSolutions emerged as the #topfunded #DigitalHealth #cluster and the most active in #partnerships in #H1-2025, highlighting the urgent #global push to: ✅ Elevate #patientcare ✅ Streamline #clinicalworkflows ✅ Improve #operationalefficiency in traditional care settings 💡 This strong #funding and #partnership activity reflects #healthcaresystems under pressure and the growing #belief that #technology #integration is key to addressing #systemic #challenges. Also making #headlines: 🔬 #MedicalDiagnostics and #ResearchSolutions (#TechBio) — two clusters capturing significant #investor interest, driven by confidence in #datacentric and #AI-driven #innovations. 📥 Want to #explore the full breakdown? #Download the Galen Growth | Redefining Digital Health Intelligence report for a #deepdive into #H12025 funding and partnership #trends. 🔍 #Analysis powered by #HealthTechAlpha, the leading platform for digital health #intelligence.

12

1 Comment

#H2b Cap Reached for First Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas FY 2026 Release Date  02/13/2026 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 18,490 H-2B visas made available for the first allocation of returning workers of fiscal year 2026 with start dates from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2026, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2026 TFR). Feb. 6, 2026, was the final receipt date for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the first allocation of returning worker H-2B visas for FY 2026. USCIS received more petitions than available H-2B visas for the FY 2026 first allocation of returning workers. In accordance with regulations, the agency used a computer-generated selection process to fairly allocate the visas without exceeding the first FY 2026 supplemental cap allocation. On Feb. 13, USCIS conducted this random selection process for petitions received on the first five business days of filing (Feb. 2 through Feb. 6, 2026) and began premium processing services afterward. Additional information on the FY 2026 supplemental visas is available on the Temporary Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas for FY 2026 page.

17