President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will require a new annual fee of $100,000 for H-1B applicants.
H-1B visas are designed to bring highly skilled foreign workers for jobs that cannot be filled by U.S. residents. However, the program has often been used to hire overseas workers willing to work for significantly less than the salaries of U.S. tech employees, sometimes as low as $60,000 annually.
Trump stated that the tech industry would likely support the move. “I think they're going to be very happy,” he said. Notably, First Lady Melania Trump was granted an H-1B work visa in October 1996 to work as a model.
Trump Gold and Platinum Cards
In addition to updating H-1B fees, Trump announced a new “Gold Card” visa, offering a pathway to U.S. citizenship:
- Gold Card: Available for a processing fee plus a $1 million contribution, $2 million for companies.
- Platinum Card: Requires a $5 million contribution and allows foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without paying taxes on non-U.S. income.
This platinum card replaces the previous investor visa and builds on Trump’s $5 million gold card announced in February.
About the H-1B Program
The H-1B program, created in 1990, targets individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher for positions that are difficult to fill, particularly in STEM fields. Critics argue the program allows companies to pay lower wages with fewer labor protections. Historically, 85,000 visas per year have been distributed through a lottery system.
Top Recipients and Trends
This year, Amazon received the most H-1B visas with over 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California has the highest concentration of H-1B workers, according to USCIS data.
Critics note that many H-1B visas are awarded to entry-level jobs rather than senior positions requiring unique skills. Companies often contract work to consulting firms such as Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tata, IBM, and Cognizant, hiring foreign workers at lower costs and reducing expenses for U.S. employers.
