Trump imposes $100k fee on H-1B visas, unveils million dollar ‘gold card’

International

SKILLED foreign workers will need more than just talent to land jobs in the U.S. They now need deeper pockets too.

President Donald Trump has ordered a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, one of several new immigration measures announced on Friday.

The executive action, signed in the Oval Office, raises the cost of the program that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals, particularly in fields like technology. The White House said the new requirement is intended to limit what officials describe as overuse of the visas.

“We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said during the signing, as quoted by CNN.

He has previously said he believes in the value of H-1B visas, while also criticizing the program in past campaigns for allowing companies to undercut American workers.

Trump also introduced a new “gold card” pathway, offering a fast-track visa process for those willing to pay. The policy would allow individuals to expedite entry with a $1 million payment, while U.S. companies could pay $2 million to do the same for a sponsored worker.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who developed the program, argued that the current green card process favors low-skilled immigrants. “We’re going to only take extraordinary people at the very top,” Lutnick said in the same report.

The H-1B visa grants temporary work authorization for three years, with the option to renew. Each year, 65,000 visas are issued, plus another 20,000 for those with advanced U.S. degrees. Because demand consistently outstrips supply, applicants are selected through a lottery.

Supporters say the program helps companies remain competitive and spurs domestic job creation. Critics argue it allows firms to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor. Trump has shifted between those positions over the years, tightening access during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also suggesting in 2024 that foreign graduates of U.S. universities could be offered legal status.

The policy changes are likely to deepen divisions among Trump’s supporters. Business leaders such as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have defended the H-1B program, drawing criticism from immigration hardliners within Trump’s base.

The combination of a six-figure visa fee and a million-dollar fast-track option signals a major reorientation of U.S. immigration policy, one that ties entry more directly to wealth and skill while raising new costs for employers reliant on foreign talent.(MyTVCebu)