Article Summary

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 application fee for companies sponsoring H-1B visas, alongside a separate 'gold card' visa for a $1 million expedited immigration process. Administration officials stated this change aimed to ensure only workers with the most specialized skills would be sponsored, though critics noted its potential to drastically alter the program relied upon by the technology sector.

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This proclamation, by introducing a $100,000 application fee, represented an extraordinary departure from the previous H-1B fee structure, which typically included a base fee of $460 plus additional fraud prevention and public law fees, usually totaling a few thousand dollars at most. Such a prohibitive cost would have effectively priced out many small to medium-sized businesses and startups from utilizing the program, concentrating H-1B sponsorships among only the largest corporations.

The move aligned with the Trump administration's broader agenda to restrict immigration and prioritize domestic labor, following earlier considerations to favor higher-paying employers over the traditional lottery system. While the article states the proclamation was signed, such a significant policy change via executive action, particularly regarding fees, would typically face substantial legal challenges regarding its statutory authority and could necessitate further legislative action or be subject to court review.