The US H-1B Visas Now Cost $100K Under Trump’s New Immigration Policy
Casal dels Infants – President Donald Trump signed a new executive action on Friday imposing a $100,000 application fee on H-1B visas. The administration says this dramatic increase will curb overuse of the program. The move is designed to encourage companies to prioritize American workers, while still keeping the door open to highly skilled foreign professionals.
“We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said from the Oval Office, emphasizing that the measure balances protecting U.S. jobs with retaining access to global talent.
The proclamation restricts entry under the H-1B program unless the new payment requirement is met.
Alongside the fee hike, Trump unveiled a new “gold card” immigration pathway. Under this program, foreigners who pay the U.S. government $1 million can fast-track their visa process. Companies can also sponsor foreign workers by paying $2 million to expedite approvals.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who helped design the program, framed it as a way to ensure the U.S. attracts only the most exceptional individuals. “We’re going to only take extraordinary people at the very top,” Lutnick said, criticizing the current green card process as favoring what he described as the “bottom quartile” of applicants.
The H-1B visa allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialized fields, particularly in science, technology, and engineering. The visa is valid for three years and can be renewed for another three. It is capped at 65,000 annually, with an additional 20,000 reserved for applicants holding advanced degrees from U.S. institutions.
Demand far exceeds supply every year, triggering a lottery system. Many U.S. tech companies, from large Silicon Valley firms to startups, rely heavily on H-1B workers to fill skill gaps. Economists have long argued that the program benefits businesses. They also believe it stimulates the broader economy by creating new jobs.
The $100,000 fee, however, could drastically alter how companies use the program. Lutnick noted that the fee structure is still under discussion with the Department of Homeland Security, with options ranging from $100,000 annually to $300,000 upfront for the three-year term.
Trump’s position on H-1B visas has shifted over time. During his 2016 campaign, he accused companies of abusing the system to replace American workers with cheaper labor. His first term included several restrictions on foreign worker visas, especially during the pandemic.
Yet, he has also defended the program. In late 2024, Trump told the New York Post that he has “always liked the visas” and considered them vital to U.S. economic growth. He even signaled openness to granting legal status to foreign students graduating from American universities.
This mixed messaging has divided Trump’s supporters. Some business leaders, including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have praised the H-1B program, while many of Trump’s populist base continue to push for tighter immigration limits.
The new policies mark one of the sharpest turns yet in Trump’s second-term immigration agenda. By tying visas to steep fees, the administration is signaling a shift toward wealth- and skill-based immigration, moving away from broader pathways that previously benefited a more diverse range of workers.
Supporters argue the changes will strengthen U.S. competitiveness by attracting top-tier talent and discouraging dependency on lower-paid foreign workers. Critics warn that smaller businesses may struggle to afford the costs. They argue this could harm innovation and slow growth in industries that rely on global expertise.
Both the $100,000 H-1B fee and the million-dollar “gold card” pathway underscore Trump’s broader philosophy: immigration should directly benefit U.S. economic interests while limiting opportunities for lower-skilled workers.
Whether these measures will achieve their intended goals remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the future of U.S. immigration, particularly for skilled foreign workers, now rests on a far more selective and costly foundation.
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This information is sourced from CNNPolitics. President Donald Trump signed a new executive action on Friday imposing a $100,000 application fee on H-1B visas. Read the full article on CasaldelsInfants.
|Author: Lukman Azhari
|Editor: Anna Hidayat
