Article Summary

Bipartisan lawmakers have urged President Trump to withdraw a recently announced $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. They warn the fee, introduced by the Trump administration for non-US based applicants, could harm innovation, burden startups, and drive talent abroad. The policy has also faced legal opposition, including a lawsuit from the US Chamber of Commerce.

TNP AI: Key Insights

The proposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions, specifically targeting workers outside the U.S., would dramatically increase the cost of hiring international talent. This directly impacts tech startups and small businesses, potentially stifling innovation and forcing them to look abroad or forgo critical skilled workers, thereby undermining the U.S. position in global talent acquisition.

This fee proposal is part of a broader trend of increasing H-1B costs and restrictions under various administrations, building on previous efforts to limit the program and prioritize domestic workers. While other countries like Canada and the UK are actively streamlining skilled worker visas, the U.S. risks losing its competitive edge by imposing such prohibitive financial burdens, which will likely intensify ongoing legal and political battles over immigration policy.