Trump Slaps $100,000 Barrier on H-1B Visas, Attacking Immigrant Workers and Tech Innovation
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President Donald Trump has imposed a staggering $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, a move widely seen as a xenophobic attack on immigrant workers and a blow to the tech industry. The measure, justified as 'encouraging American hiring,' has already triggered legal battles and outrage among tech leaders.
President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation slamming a $100,000 application fee on H-1B visas, a draconian measure targeting skilled foreign workers who fuel innovation in the U.S. The White House claims this punitive fee will 'encourage companies to hire American workers,' but critics see it as a thinly veiled attempt to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment and undermine the tech sector's global competitiveness.
The fee, set to hit new applicants in the next visa lottery in February, spares current H-1B holders but threatens to price out future talent. With over 141,000 new H-1B visas issued last year, this policy could saddle American companies with an outrageous $14 billion annual burden, stifling start-ups and diversity in the workforce.
Silicon Valley, which depends on H-1B visas to attract engineers, scientists, and coders from around the world, has sounded the alarm. Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, condemned the move, warning it 'kneecaps start-ups' and hands a 'massive gift to every overseas tech hub,' further eroding America's leadership in innovation.
Legal experts expect the fee to be challenged in court. Matthew Dunn, a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, denounced the fee as 'totally outside their regulatory power,' predicting judicial intervention to block this discriminatory proclamation.
The administration's broader assault on the H-1B program includes proposals to raise the salary threshold for visa approvals and allocate visas based on salary rankings, a move that would further entrench inequality and limit opportunities for talented workers from less privileged backgrounds.
Employers are scrambling to find alternatives, such as the restrictive L-1 visa, which requires overseas employment for at least a year, shutting the door on many who seek opportunity in the U.S.
Gary Cohn, former Trump adviser and now IBM vice chair, praised the fee as a 'good idea,' echoing the administration's elitist logic that only the most privileged should have a shot at contributing to the U.S. economy. This policy marks another step in the Trump administration's relentless campaign against immigrants and working people.
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