US President Donald Trump has announced the introduction of a new annual fee of $100,000 for all new H-1B visa applicants, The Verge reports.
The program is used to attract highly skilled foreign workers, particularly in the technology sector. Amazon is the largest user of the H-1B, with about 14,000 such employees. Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Indian IT company Tata Consultancy also have more than 4,000 employees each on these visas.
The new fee will only apply to new applications and is likely to be subject to legal challenges. Meanwhile, some companies are already taking action: Microsoft and Amazon reportedly sent internal instructions to employees outside the US advising them to return home before the fee takes effect on September 21. US technology companies are also advising their domestic foreign workers with visas to refrain from leaving the US due to the risk of not being able to return.
In addition, the Trump administration announced a new “golden card” program that will replace the EB-1 and EB-2 visas for people with “outstanding abilities” (artists, athletes, educators, and leaders) or advanced academic degrees. To receive a “golden card,” an applicant must prove “exceptional value to the United States” by contributing $1 million. If the candidate is sponsored by a company, the amount can increase to $2 million. It is clear that under this new program, financial capacity, rather than professional skills, will be the decisive factor.
According to the US government, the program aims to raise more than $100 billion to reduce public debt and taxes, although there is no official confirmation of these projections.
It is noted that against the backdrop of the US national debt of over $37 trillion, the expected financial effect of the new fees will be insignificant.