H1B VISA IMPACT ON ECONOMY
Could the $100,000 H-1B Fee Push U.S. Jobs Overseas? Former President Trump’s recent proposal to charge $100,000 for each new H-1B visa sent shockwaves through the tech world. The goal is clear - protect American jobs. But the impact could be far more complex.
About 500,000 people currently work in the U.S. under H-1B visas, mostly in tech. Half of all new applications come from giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, the companies driving most U.S. innovation. Small firms rarely sponsor these visas because they’re already expensive and time-consuming. Add a $100,000 fee, and even large employers will think twice before hiring global talent.
An H-1B lasts up to six years, so changes won’t bite overnight. But in a few years, companies will likely respond by offshoring more roles, especially to India, where much of this talent already lives. Ironically, a policy meant to “bring jobs back home” could end up sending them abroad instead.
This proposal acts like a tariff on human capital — not on products, but on skills. And that could cost the U.S. its competitive edge in innovation.
In my opinion, the proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee risks doing more harm than good to the U.S. economy. While the intent to protect American jobs is understandable, the reality is that the H-1B program doesn’t just fill roles — it fuels innovation. Many of the engineers and scientists on these visas are behind the technologies that drive U.S. growth, from cloud computing to AI. Limiting access to global talent won’t necessarily create more domestic jobs; it will more likely push companies to expand offshore operations where skilled workers are more accessible and affordable.
Over time, this shift could erode America’s competitiveness in high-tech industries and slow its capacity to innovate. The U.S. has long been the world’s magnet for talent, a place where ideas, skills, and capital converge to build the future. Pricing out that talent through excessive fees would weaken that advantage and risk exporting not just jobs, but the innovation engine that has defined the U.S. for decades.
Could the $100,000 H-1B Fee Push U.S. Jobs Overseas? Former President Trump’s recent proposal to charge $100,000 for each new H-1B visa sent shockwaves through the tech world. The goal is clear - protect American jobs. But the impact could be far more complex.
About 500,000 people currently work in the U.S. under H-1B visas, mostly in tech. Half of all new applications come from giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, the companies driving most U.S. innovation. Small firms rarely sponsor these visas because they’re already expensive and time-consuming. Add a $100,000 fee, and even large employers will think twice before hiring global talent.
An H-1B lasts up to six years, so changes won’t bite overnight. But in a few years, companies will likely respond by offshoring more roles, especially to India, where much of this talent already lives. Ironically, a policy meant to “bring jobs back home” could end up sending them abroad instead.
This proposal acts like a tariff on human capital — not on products, but on skills. And that could cost the U.S. its competitive edge in innovation.
In my opinion, the proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee risks doing more harm than good to the U.S. economy. While the intent to protect American jobs is understandable, the reality is that the H-1B program doesn’t just fill roles — it fuels innovation. Many of the engineers and scientists on these visas are behind the technologies that drive U.S. growth, from cloud computing to AI. Limiting access to global talent won’t necessarily create more domestic jobs; it will more likely push companies to expand offshore operations where skilled workers are more accessible and affordable.
Over time, this shift could erode America’s competitiveness in high-tech industries and slow its capacity to innovate. The U.S. has long been the world’s magnet for talent, a place where ideas, skills, and capital converge to build the future. Pricing out that talent through excessive fees would weaken that advantage and risk exporting not just jobs, but the innovation engine that has defined the U.S. for decades.