Trump Signs Off on $100K H-1B Visa Fee

President Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will require a $100,000 annual visa fee for highly skilled foreign workers and rolled out a $1 million "Gold Card" visa as a pathway to US citizenship for wealthy individuals, moves that face near-certain legal challenges amid widespread criticism that he's sidestepping Congress. If the moves survive legal muster, they'll deliver staggering price increases, reports the AP.

• H-1B visas: These visas, which have historically been doled out by lottery and require at least a bachelor's degree, are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to US technology workers. Per the Washington Post, "current H-1B visa application fees depend on employer size and status but rarely exceed $5,000 in total, excluding lawyer's expenses."

• Howard Lutnick: The commerce secretary said the change will likely result in far fewer H-1B visas than the 85,000 annual cap allows because "it's just not economic anymore." "If you're going to train people, you're going to train Americans," he told reporters. "If you have a very sophisticated engineer and you want to bring them in ... then you can pay $100,000 a year for your H-1B visa."
• 'Gold card': Trump also announced he'll start selling a "Gold Card" visa with a path to US citizenship for $1 million after vetting. For companies, it will cost $2 million to sponsor an employee. Meanwhile, the Trump "Platinum Card"—formerly the Gold Card introduced in February to replace an existing investor visa—will be available for $5 million and allow foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the US without being subject to US taxes on non-US income.
• Details: Lutnick said these two cards would replace employment-based visas that offer paths to citizenship, including for professors, scientists, artists, and athletes. He added that the H-1B fees and Gold Card could be introduced by the president, but the Platinum Card needs congressional approval.
• Reaction: Critics of H-1Bs visas who say they're used to replace American workers applauded the move. US Tech Workers, an advocacy group, called it "the next best thing" to abolishing the visas altogether. However, Doug Rand, a senior official at US Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, said the proposed fee increase was "ludicrously lawless." "This isn't real policy—it's fan service for immigration restrictionists," Rand said. "Trump gets his headlines, and inflicts a jolt of panic, and doesn't care whether this survives first contact with the courts."