"We Need Great Workers": Trump Slaps $100,000 Fee On H-1B Visas

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation introducing significant changes to the visa system, requiring a staggering $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications and establishing a new $1 million "gold card" visa pathway to U.S. citizenship for wealthy individuals.

These controversial moves face likely legal challenges as critics argue Trump is bypassing Congressional authority. Should these changes survive legal scrutiny, they represent dramatic price increases – the H-1B visa fee would jump from its current $215, while investor visa fees would climb from the present $10,000-$20,000 range.

H-1B visas, which require at least a bachelor's degree, are designed for high-skilled positions that technology companies struggle to fill domestically. Critics contend the program often serves as a channel for overseas workers willing to accept salaries around $60,000 annually, substantially below the typical $100,000-plus compensation for American technology professionals.

Trump defended the changes, claiming the tech industry would not oppose them. He emphasized that the initiative aims to ensure incoming workers are "actually very highly skilled" and don't replace American employees. "We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that's what's going to happen," he stated.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asserted that "all big companies" support the changes. Major technology corporations including Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Microsoft declined to comment.

Lutnick predicted these changes will likely result in far fewer H-1B visas being issued than the annual cap of 85,000 permits because "it's just not economic anymore." He explained, "If you're going to train people, you're going to train Americans. If you have a very sophisticated engineer and you want to bring them in... then you can pay $100,000 a year for your H-1B visa."

Trump also announced the introduction of a "gold card" visa with a path to U.S. citizenship priced at $1 million after vetting. For companies sponsoring an employee, the cost rises to $2 million.

Additionally, a "Trump Platinum Card" will be available for $5 million, allowing foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income. This platinum card replaces what Trump had announced in February as a $5 million gold card intended to replace an existing investor visa program.

Lutnick indicated that the gold and platinum cards would replace employment-based visas that currently offer paths to citizenship for professors, scientists, artists, and athletes.

Critics of H-1B visas who believe they displace American workers welcomed the move. US Tech Workers, an advocacy group, described it as "the next best thing" to eliminating the visas entirely.

However, Doug Rand, who served as a senior official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, called the proposed fee increase "ludicrously lawless." He stated, "This isn't real policy - it's fan service for immigration restrictionists. Trump gets his headlines, and inflicts a jolt of panic, and doesn't care whether this survives first contact with the courts."

Lutnick clarified that while the H-1B fees and gold card could be implemented through presidential action, the platinum card would require congressional approval.

Historically, H-1B visas have been distributed through a lottery system. This year, Amazon was the leading recipient with over 10,000 visas awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California hosts the highest concentration of H-1B workers nationwide.

Critics argue that H-1B allocations often go to entry-level positions rather than senior roles requiring specialized skills. Despite program requirements against undercutting U.S. wages or displacing American workers, critics contend companies can pay less by classifying jobs at lower skill levels, even when hiring experienced workers.

Consequently, many U.S. companies find it more economical to outsource functions like help desks, programming, and other basic tasks to consulting firms such as Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Tata in India, or IBM and Cognizant in the U.S. These consultancies hire foreign workers, frequently from India, and contract them to U.S. employers seeking cost savings.

It's worth noting that First Lady Melania Trump, formerly Melania Knauss who was born in Slovenia, was granted an H-1B work visa in October 1996 to work as a model.

In 2024, lottery applications for H-1B visas decreased by nearly 40%, which authorities attributed to successful efforts against individuals "gaming the system" by submitting multiple or questionable applications to unfairly increase selection chances.

Major technology companies utilizing H-1B visas had sought changes after significant increases in applications reduced chances for their employees and prospective hires in the random lottery. Addressing what it acknowledged as likely fraud and abuse, USCIS this year limited each employee to one lottery entry, regardless of whether they had one job offer or fifty.

While critics welcomed these adjustments, many argue more comprehensive reforms are needed. The AFL-CIO stated last year that although changes to the lottery "included some steps in the right direction," they fell short of necessary reforms. The labor organization advocates awarding visas to companies offering the highest wages instead of using a random lottery – a change Trump had pursued during his first presidential term.