President Donald Trump’s latest move on immigration—slapping a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas—is hitting a nerve in Silicon Valley. The policy, announced late
Friday, sent tech leaders, investors, and startup founders scrambling, with many calling it a direct blow to innovation.
What’s Going On?
The White House said companies would now need to pay \$100k for each H-1B worker they bring in. That visa is widely used by big names like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta to hire highly skilled foreign workers, many from India and China.
At first, the rollout was messy. Executives worried the fees might apply every year, or even to existing visa holders abroad. The administration later clarified: it’s a one-time fee, not annual, and it won’t affect people already in the system. But the confusion alone triggered chaos—some workers canceled trips, while others rushed back to the U.S. on short notice.
The Tech Community Reacts
Criticism was swift. Former Twitter exec Esther Crawford, now at Meta, said America’s strength has always come from welcoming smart, ambitious people from around the world:
“High-skilled immigrants don’t take from us, they build with us. Some of my best colleagues have been H-1B holders chasing their own American dream.”
AI pioneer Andrew Ng added that the abrupt change was unfair to families left in limbo:
“America should be attracting more talent, not creating uncertainty that drives them away.”
Still, not everyone was against the move. Former Trump adviser Gary Cohn called the fee a “good idea,” and Netflix’s Reed Hastings suggested it might push companies to reserve visas for only the most valuable jobs.
Bigger Picture
Economists warn this could hurt startups most, since they don’t have the cash reserves of tech giants to absorb millions in added costs. Some predict it may even accelerate the shift of jobs overseas, to hubs like Canada and India.
The policy also lands amid rising tensions over immigration in general—from workplace raids to strained relations with allies like South Korea after U.S. enforcement actions.
For now, the tech world is watching closely. The consensus? The fee might change how Silicon Valley hires, and not in a way that helps America’s long-term competitiveness. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.