**New York:** In a move that could adversely impact Indian professionals on visas in the US, President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that raises the fee for H1-B visas to a staggering USD 100,000 annually. This latest step is part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to crack down on immigration.
White House staff secretary Will Scharf described the H1B non-immigrant visa program as one of the “most abused visa” systems in the country’s current immigration framework. The program is intended to allow highly skilled laborers, who work in fields that Americans typically do not, to come into the United States.
The Trump administration stated that the new $100,000 fee is aimed at ensuring that those brought into the country are “actually very highly skilled” and do not replace American workers.
### About The Move
The measure is designed to protect American workers while ensuring that companies have a pathway to hire “truly extraordinary people” and bring them to the US. Companies pay to sponsor H1B applicants, and this new fee is intended to prioritize top talent.
“We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said as he signed the proclamation in the Oval Office, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick present.
Lutnick added context on the employment-based Green Card program, saying historically it allowed 281,000 people per year entry, with an average salary of USD 66,000 annually. He noted that these individuals were five times more likely to participate in government assistance programs.
“So we were taking in the bottom quartile, below the average American. It was illogical — the only country in the world that was taking in the bottom quartile,” said Lutnick. “We are going to stop doing that. We’re going to only take extraordinary people at the very top, instead of those trying to take jobs from Americans.”
He emphasized the program’s goal for these individuals to create businesses and jobs for Americans. Lutnick added the new fee is expected to raise more than USD 100 billion for the US Treasury.
Trump said the revenue will be used to cut taxes and pay down the national debt. “We think it’s going to be very successful,” he said.
### Impact on Indian Technology Workers
The annual USD 100,000 fee is expected to significantly impact Indian technology workers who are hired by tech companies and others on H1-B visas. These visas are valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years. Employees sponsored for Green Cards can have their visas renewed until permanent residency is obtained.
However, Indians on work visas face a decades-long wait for Green Cards, and this new fee could affect their ability to remain in the US if companies opt not to pay the required amount every year to maintain the visas.
“So the whole idea is, no more will these big tech companies or other big companies train foreign workers,” Lutnick said. “They have to pay the government USD 100,000, then they have to pay the employee. So it’s just not economic. If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land, train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs. That’s the policy here. And all of the big companies are on board. We’ve spoken to them about it.”
Trump echoed these sentiments, stating that tech companies “love it. They really love it. They need it.” He added, “The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in.”
### President Trump Signs Executive Order Entitled ‘The Gold Card’
Alongside the H1-B visa fee increase, Trump also signed an executive order titled ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at creating a new visa pathway for foreigners of extraordinary ability committed to supporting the United States.
Under the Gold Card program, individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury — or USD 2 million if a corporation sponsors them — will receive expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
“We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars. The Gold Card will be taking in hundreds of billions of dollars, and companies will be able to keep some people they need. They need people of expertise, great expertise. I think it’s going to be a fantastic thing, and we’re going to take that money and we’re going to reduce taxes, we’re going to reduce debt,” Trump said.
### Clarifications on the New Fee
When asked whether the USD 100,000 fee will apply to H1-B visa holders already in the US, renewals, or new applicants from abroad, Lutnick stated, “Renewals, first times — the company needs to decide. Is that person valuable enough to have USD 100,000 a year payment to the government, or they should head home and they should go hire an American.”
He explained that the visa term can be a total of six years, meaning the fee could amount to USD 600,000 over that period. “Either the person is very valuable to the company and America, or they’re going to depart and the company is going to hire an American. That’s the point of immigration — hire Americans and make sure the people coming in are the top, top people. Stop the nonsense of letting people just come into this country on these visas that were given away for free. The president is crystal clear. Valuable people only for America. Stop the nonsense.”
When questioned about whether technology CEOs who hire foreign workers are concerned about the move, Trump responded, “They’re going to be very happy. Everyone’s going to be happy. And we’re going to be able to keep people in our country that are going to be very productive people. And in many cases, these companies are going to pay a lot of money for that, and they’re very happy about it.”
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