A surprise $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications has tech giants and foreign governments scrambling to protect their workforces and respond to an unprecedented shakeup in the US skilled immigration system. The decision prompted immediate reactions from major technology and finance companies, which rely heavily on the H-1B program to employ skilled foreign workers, CNBC reports. Internal communications at Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Microsoft advised current H-1B holders to remain in the US and cautioned those abroad to return before the policy takes effect at midnight on Sunday, citing potential risks to their immigration status.
The announcement by President Trump on Friday sparked chaos, per Politico, as the text of the presidential proclamation doesn't make clear whether the change applies to existing visa-holders as well as future applicants. White House officials put clarifying posts Saturday on X. "It does not apply to anyone who participated in the 2025 lottery," the White House posted. "The Proclamation does not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to/from the US." Press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that the charge is a one-time application fee, not a recurring one—though Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said repeatedly on Friday that it will be an annual charge.
Foreign governments said they are reviewing the impact of the rule. India said on Saturday that the change that the change is likely to have humanitarian consequences, potentially disrupting families, per Reuters. South Korea's foreign ministry reported it is also assessing potential effects on its businesses and workers. Immigration experts and corporate executives told the Washington Post that the order's wording is vague, which is leading ton confusion; White House officials defended it.
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