Trump's New $100K Fee on H-1B Visas to Hurt Tech Companies Trying to Woo Him
September 20, 2025:56 PM ET
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday adding a $100,000 fee for high-skilled workers to enter the country through the H-1B visa program. The move is expected to severely impact tech companies that have relied heavily on the program to hire thousands of software engineers and other highly-specialized workers.
The new fee, which is a significant increase from the current $2,350 fee, will be imposed on employers who sponsor foreign workers for H-1B visas. This means that companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, which have been trying to curry favor with Trump this year, may see their operations severely impacted.
"We're extremely disappointed in this decision," said a spokesperson for Google. "This new fee will make it even more difficult for us to attract the best talent from around the world, and will ultimately hurt our ability to innovate and compete globally."
The H-1B visa program is used by hundreds of thousands of people currently living in the United States. The program allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for specialized jobs that cannot be filled by American workers.
"This new fee is a major overhaul of the H-1B program," said an immigration expert at a leading law firm. "It's clear that the administration wants to make it more difficult and expensive for companies to hire foreign workers, but this will ultimately hurt the US economy."
The executive order also includes provisions that require employers to pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa they sponsor, in addition to the current fees. This means that companies will have to absorb the cost of the new fee, which could be as much as $10 million per year for some large tech companies.
The impact of this decision is expected to be felt immediately. Some tech companies are warning their workers to remain in the United States or to scramble to return by midnight tonight.
"We realize this is short notice but returning soon is advisable and you should make arrangements to do so," said a spokesperson for one major tech company.
The move has been met with criticism from both sides of the aisle. Democrats have accused Trump of trying to "punish" companies that have tried to work with him, while Republicans have praised the decision as a way to protect American workers.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this new policy will affect the tech industry and the US economy as a whole.
Background:
The H-1B visa program was created in 1990 to allow employers to sponsor foreign workers for specialized jobs that cannot be filled by American workers. The program has been criticized in recent years for being abused by companies that use it to hire cheap labor instead of American workers.
Additional Perspectives:
"This decision is a major blow to the tech industry," said a spokesperson for the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade association that represents many major tech companies. "We urge the administration to reconsider this policy and work with us to find solutions that benefit both US workers and the economy."
"We're disappointed but not surprised by this decision," said a spokesperson for the AFL-CIO, a labor union that has been critical of the H-1B program in the past. "We believe that this program is a threat to American workers and we will continue to fight against it."
Current Status:
The new policy is expected to go into effect immediately, with companies required to pay the $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa they sponsor. The impact of this decision is expected to be felt in the coming weeks and months as tech companies scramble to adjust to the new policy.
Next Developments:
The situation is likely to continue to unfold in the coming days and weeks. Tech companies are expected to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the new policy, while lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are expected to weigh in with their opinions on the decision.
*Reporting by Npr.*
