The Trump administration says the modifications will reshape employment-based immigration and cut back reliance on non permanent employee applications.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that imposes a $100,000 annual price on H-1B visas, thereby altering how international staff get employed throughout the U.S.
“The entire thought is not any extra will these huge tech firms or different huge firms practice international staff. They need to pay the federal government $100,000, then they need to pay the worker, so it’s simply not [economical],” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick advised reporters on Friday as Trump signed the order. He added, “The entire huge firms are on board.”
A White Home official conversant in the matter advised FOX Enterprise that the price applies to new visas and won’t affect renewals or present H-1B visa holders.
Along with the price, Trump additionally rolled out a “gold card,” which can give rich people a pathway to citizenship.
People seeking to get a gold card will probably be charged $1 million and companies might want to pay $2 million, in keeping with Axios. The company card will let firms sponsor an worker. There will probably be no further price if the corporate chooses to modify the sponsorship to a distinct employee.
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There may also be a extra premium choice often called the “Trump Platinum Card,” which carries a $5 million price ticket and can let holders spend as much as 270 days within the U.S. with out being topic to taxes on non-U.S. earnings, Axios reported.
H-1B visas have been a serious focus of the immigration debate all through Trump’s second time period. Whereas the visas require candidates to have a minimum of a bachelor’s diploma, there are some who argue that H-1Bs are sometimes used to rent low-cost labor over American staff.
President Donald Trump speaks, with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick standing by his facet, as an indication that reads “Trump Gold Card is right here” is displayed, within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters / Reuters)
“President Trump promised to place American staff first, and this commonsense motion does simply that by discouraging firms from spamming the system and driving down wages. It additionally provides certainty to American companies who truly wish to convey high-skilled staff to our nice nation however have been trampled on by abuses of the system,” White Home spokesperson Taylor Rogers advised FOX Enterprise.
The White Home stated in a reality sheet that the share of IT staff with H-1B visas rose from 32% in fiscal 2003 to greater than 65% in recent times. In the meantime, the Trump administration stated unemployment amongst pc science graduates reached 6.1% and seven.5% for pc engineering graduates.
“The H-1B program is creating disincentives for future American staff to decide on STEM careers, which threatens our nationwide safety,” the White Home stated.
JPMorgan staff have been suggested by Ogletree Deakins, an organization that handles visa purposes for the financial institution, that H-1B visa holders ought to keep away from worldwide journey “till the federal government points clear journey steering,” in keeping with Reuters.
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President Donald Trump indicators an government order on a “gold card” visa within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters / Reuters)
Amazon reportedly posted inner steering Friday night with an identical warning, Enterprise Insider reported.
“If in case you have H-1B standing and are within the U.S.: Keep within the nation for now, even when you’ve got journey deliberate for the speedy future,” the corporate advised staff, in keeping with Enterprise Insider. The steering additionally suggested H-1B and H-4 holders at the moment outdoors the U.S. to return as quickly as potential. H-4 visas are for spouses of H-1B holders.
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India’s know-how service trade can be anticipated to really feel the affect of the coverage shift.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick talks concerning the “Trump Gold Card” as President Donald Trump seems to be on throughout an government order signing Friday within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, D.C. (Fox Information / Pool / Fox Information)
“Expert expertise mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to know-how growth, innovation, financial development, competitiveness and wealth creation in the US and India,” India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs stated in a press release. “Coverage makers will due to this fact assess latest steps considering mutual advantages, which embrace sturdy people-to-people ties between the 2 international locations.”
Deedy Das, accomplice at enterprise capital agency Menlo Ventures, warned in a put up on X that this “creates disincentive to draw the world’s smartest expertise to the U.S.”
“If the U.S. ceases to draw the most effective expertise, it drastically reduces its potential to innovate and develop the financial system,” Das added.
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FOX Enterprise reached out to Amazon and Microsoft for remark however didn’t instantly obtain a response. JPMorgan declined to remark.
