Trump increases the price of Big Tech's favorite visa
The cost of hiring foreign workers rises to $130,000.
1Major increase in H-1B visa fees
The US Department of Homeland Security announced a new fee of $103,265 for H-1B visa applications. This increase will particularly affect tech giants like Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, which are the largest employers of H-1B workers. In June, a federal judge rejected Trump's attempt to raise these fees, but over 70 employers had already paid $100,000. The new fee will significantly complicate the hiring of skilled foreign workers.
2OPT program also under threat
Business leaders worry the Trump administration may next target the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. This program allows international students to work for 12 months after graduation, extendable to 24 months for STEM students. DHS has hinted it may soon impose a $100,000 fee for this program. This could severely restrict job opportunities for foreign students educated in the US.
3Labor crisis in rural areas
The previous fee hike exacerbated labor shortages in rural hospitals nationwide and Alaska's public schools. These areas had increasingly relied on skilled immigrant workers due to local population decline. While $100,000 was an inconvenience for Amazon and Meta, it proved catastrophic for rural communities already struggling to attract qualified candidates.
4200,000 visas to be revoked
According to the Associated Press, the State Department will cancel 200,000 business and travel visas issued between 2016-2026 to people who applied for asylum after arriving in the US. This move will limit asylum seekers' ability to travel abroad but won't otherwise change their status for now. Experts say this is part of Trump's efforts to weaken the humanitarian immigration system.
5Closing an asylum 'loophole'
The administration frames this change as closing a 'loophole' where people enter on work/tourist visas then apply for asylum. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, 'We're revoking visas of foreigners who claimed to be short-term visitors but then filed for permanent asylum.' However, applicants using this method broke no laws - asylum applications must be made on US soil.
6Humanitarian migration routes blocked
The Trump administration is closing other humanitarian migration paths too. An effective 'asylum ban' exists at the US-Mexico border. Refugee admissions hit record lows, with the administration prioritizing white South Africans while denying nearly all others. Experts say Trump's second term shows he only wants immigrants who can pay fortunes or fit a certain profile.
7Business and economic impacts
FWD.us president Todd Schulte said, 'This is clearly unlawful. It's meant to eliminate OPT and H-1B programs, with devastating upstream and downstream consequences: companies will incorporate elsewhere, people will be hired elsewhere.' This affects not just tech but other sectors reliant on skilled immigrant workers, potentially disrupting critical rural services.
8Future of US immigration policy
Such measures against legal immigrants are expected to continue increasing during Trump's second term. The administration is creating legal hurdles not just for new immigrants but those already in the country. These policies will likely negatively impact businesses and social services nationwide. Experts warn the US may fall behind in global talent competition.