Trump announces that H-1B visas will cost $ 100,000 a year

all Variation by technology executives It was not enough to persuade Donald Trump to retreat The Crusader campaign against immigrants. The President announced yesterday that the government will add $ 100,000 a year fees to all H-1B visas in an attempt to discourage them.

While many industries benefit greatly from the H-1B program to attract high skills foreign workers, the technology industry is especially dependent. Amazon has approximately 14,000 H-1B workers across its multiple entities, much more than any other company according to data from Federal government. But Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple and Tata Consultance (Main IT Services Company) has more than 4000 employees working on H-1B visas.

The fees will only apply to new applicants, and they are likely to face legal challenges, but even just the specter of this change seems to have some companies Jar. there Reports That microsoft has released Internal note Providing advice to any workers currently abroad working on a visa to return to the United States before the new fees began in the middle of the night tonight. Technology companies have already warned those working on visas Not leaving the United States For fear that they may not be able to return.

Wide when the White House talks about attracting “Top, the best people“As for the United States, they seem to talk about wealth, not skill. As revealed by the so -called”Gold Card“The program that will replace the Minister of Trade, Howard Lottenic EB-1 and EB-2 Visa programs. These programs are for “exceptional” people (artists, athletes, teachers, and executives) or those who have advanced certificates in competitive areas. The replacement program calls for applicants to prove (their exceptional value to the United States of America by contributing a million dollars. “

Under the Gold Card, potential immigrants will pay $ 1,000,000 as part of the rapid application process, and these fees may rise to $ 2,000,000 if the company is sponsored by a company to work. It is clear that this new program will prefer wealth over actual skills, although the Trump administration claims (without any data to support it) that it will collect more than $ 100 billion that will use it to pay debts and reduce taxes.

Of course, with the debts of patriotism currently exceeds 37 trillion dollarsThe federal government expects to add more than 2 trillion dollars in 2025That is, the revenues collected by the Gold Card Program or the fees on H-1B visas will be minimal.