U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications.
The White House defended the move through a fact sheet, citing “widespread program abuse” and the loss of American jobs.
Trump Introduces $100,000 Fee for New H-1B Visa Applications
The new fee applies to all petitions filed from outside the U.S. and is meant to discourage companies from replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign labor.
According to the White House, several U.S. companies have been laying off domestic tech workers while simultaneously hiring foreign employees through the H-1B program.
The fact sheet gave examples, stating that one company received 5,189 H-1B approvals while laying off 16,000 U.S. workers, and another secured 1,698 approvals while cutting 2,400 jobs.
In the White House’s words: “American workers are being replaced with lower-paid foreign labor, creating an economic and national security threat to the nation. The share of IT workers with H-1B visas has risen from 32% in FY 2003 to over 65% in recent years.”
It also noted that unemployment for recent computer science graduates is 6.1%, and for computer engineering graduates 7.5%, which is more than double the unemployment rate of biology or art history majors.
Between 2000 and 2019, the number of foreign STEM workers in the U.S. more than doubled, while overall STEM employment grew only 44.5% in the same period.
The White House highlighted cases where companies increased reliance on H-1B workers while slashing U.S. jobs:
- One company approved for 5,189 H-1B workers in FY2025 while cutting 16,000 American jobs.
- Another approved for 1,698 H-1B workers but laid off 2,400 U.S. employees in Oregon in July.
- A third reduced its American workforce by 27,000 since 2022 while receiving 25,075 H-1B approvals.
- Yet another cut 1,000 U.S. jobs in February while securing 1,137 H-1B approvals.
US IT Workers Made to Train Foreign Replacements Under NDAs
Reports also claim that some American IT workers were forced to train their foreign replacements under nondisclosure agreements.
The White House said the H-1B program is discouraging young Americans from pursuing STEM careers and poses risks to national security.
Trump’s move to raise H-1B costs is aimed at addressing abuse, stopping wage undercutting, and protecting national security.
The administration argued that voters gave Trump a clear mandate to put American workers first, and he has been delivering on that promise.
Trump has negotiated new trade deals to bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs and attract fresh investments.
He has also used tariffs strategically to rebuild manufacturing, secure supply chains, and protect U.S. security.
Several Section 232 tariffs have been implemented to defend American industries affected by unfair trade practices and global overcapacity.
Since Trump returned to office, the administration claims all employment gains have gone to American-born workers, unlike during Biden’s term, when the gains went to foreign-born workers.
New guidance has also been issued to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing federal workforce development programs and related grants, ensuring training opportunities are reserved for American workers.
