PremiumIs This The Real Reason Trump Hit Tech With $100,000 H1B Fee?
Silicon Valley executives reeled last week as Donald Trump unveiled a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, a measure that could effectively shut down the inflow of foreign tech workers. Companies rushed to advise employees against foreign travel while lawyers fielded urgent questions about renewals. The White House clarified that the charge applies only to new visas, not existing holders - and that it would not be an annual fee - but the damage was done.
The announcement was cast as a labor-market correction. A fact sheet from the White House cited the displacement of American workers, the abuse of the lottery system by outsourcers, and the need to restore incentives for U.S. students to enter science and engineering fields.