President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the business and tech worlds on September 19, 2025, when he signed a sweeping executive order revamping the H-1B visa program and introducing a new suite of high-cost immigration options. The move, which imposes a $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B visa petitions and launches a so-called "Trump Gold Card" for wealthy individuals seeking U.S. residency, has drawn praise from some corners and fierce criticism from others, setting off a flurry of guidance, warnings, and uncertainty across the country and around the globe.
For years, the H-1B visa has been a critical pathway for U.S. companies—especially in technology, finance, and engineering—to hire highly skilled foreign workers. But with the stroke of a pen in the Oval Office, Trump dramatically raised the stakes for both employers and would-be immigrants. As Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained during the signing ceremony, "No more will these Big Tech companies or other big companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government $100,000, then they have to pay the employee, so it’s just not [economical]." According to Lutnick, "all of the big companies are on board."
The new $100,000 charge is a one-time fee, applying only to new H-1B petitions filed in the next lottery cycle. It does not apply to renewals or to current visa holders re-entering the United States, a point White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quick to clarify. "This is NOT an annual fee," Leavitt posted on X (formerly Twitter). "H-1B visa holders can leave and reenter the country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation."
Despite this clarification, confusion rippled through the tech sector and among visa holders. Major employers like Amazon, JPMorgan, and Microsoft rushed to issue internal guidance. According to Reuters and Business Insider, these companies advised H-1B workers in the U.S. to avoid international travel until the government issues clearer guidance, and told those outside the country to return as soon as possible. "If you have H-1B status and are in the U.S.: Stay in the country for now, even if you have travel planned for the immediate future," Amazon told employees, as reported by Business Insider. The same advice extended to H-4 visa holders, who are spouses of H-1B workers.
India, whose citizens make up the majority of H-1B visa holders, expressed particular concern. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, "Skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India. Policymakers will therefore assess recent steps taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the two countries." The announcement sent shares of Indian IT giants Infosys and Wipro tumbling between 2% and 5%, while U.S.-listed shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions fell nearly 5%.
The scale of the change is striking. The H-1B program, which offers 65,000 visas annually (plus 20,000 for advanced degree holders), has long been a magnet for global talent. In the first half of 2025 alone, Amazon and its cloud unit AWS received approval for more than 12,000 H-1B visas, with Microsoft and Meta Platforms each securing over 5,000. According to Pew Research, India accounted for 71% of H-1B visa beneficiaries last year, with China at 11.7%.
The rationale for the fee, according to the White House, is to prioritize American workers and address perceived abuses of the system. "President Trump promised to put American workers first, and this commonsense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down wages," said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers to FOX Business. The administration pointed to data showing that the share of IT workers with H-1B visas rose from 32% in fiscal 2003 to more than 65% in recent years, while unemployment among computer science graduates reached 6.1%, and 7.5% for computer engineering graduates. "The H-1B program is creating disincentives for future American workers to choose STEM careers, which threatens our national security," the White House stated in a fact sheet.
Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue that the new fee could backfire by making the U.S. less attractive to the world’s top talent. Deedy Das, a partner at Menlo Ventures, warned on X, "This creates disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the U.S. If the U.S. ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy." eMarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman echoed this concern, telling Reuters, "In the short term, Washington may collect a windfall; in the long term, the U.S. risks taxing away its innovation edge, trading dynamism for short-sighted protectionism." Some analysts also suggested that the fee could push companies to move high-value work overseas, potentially undermining America’s leadership in critical sectors like artificial intelligence.
Beyond the H-1B overhaul, Trump’s executive order introduced two new high-end immigration options. The "Trump Gold Card" offers wealthy individuals a pathway to U.S. citizenship for $1 million, while businesses can pay $2 million to sponsor an employee. There’s also a "Trump Platinum Card"—a $5 million option that allows holders to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. annually without being subject to taxes on non-U.S. income, according to Axios. There will be no additional fee if a company chooses to switch sponsorship to a different worker.
These changes come amid a broader crackdown on legal immigration since Trump’s return to office in January. While the administration says the moves are designed to protect American jobs and curb abuses, critics—including some in business and policy circles—question the legality of such steep fees. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director of the American Immigration Council, noted on Bluesky, "Congress has only authorized the government to set fees to recover the cost of adjudicating an application." Under the old system, employers paid a much smaller fee to enter the H-1B lottery, with subsequent costs typically totaling a few thousand dollars.
As the dust settles, the impact on families, companies, and America’s global competitiveness remains uncertain. India’s foreign ministry has warned that the move could disrupt families and have humanitarian consequences. Meanwhile, the White House and Commerce Secretary Lutnick maintain that the new policies will ensure "all the big companies are on board" and that American graduates get priority.
For now, H-1B visa holders and their employers are left waiting for further guidance—and perhaps legal challenges—while the world watches to see whether the U.S. can maintain its reputation as a beacon for global talent, or if the new price of admission proves too steep for the best and brightest.
