Trump Plans $100,000 Fee to Restrict U.S. H-1B Visas

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to introduce a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications as part of a major overhaul to reduce the program's usage, especially targeting its exploitation to push Americans out of jobs. The fee would restrict entry under the H-1B visa program unless paid, signaling a tough stance on immigration and aiming to curb abuse of the system, including companies submitting large volumes of applications to crowd out smaller employers. Alongside the fee, Trump intends to revise prevailing wage rules to make it more difficult for companies to employ foreign workers at lower salaries, further limiting the visa's use. The H-1B program, widely used in the technology sector for specialty occupations like software engineers, currently involves fees of $215 for lottery registration and $780 for employer petitions, which would be dwarfed by the new $100,000 charge. This move has sparked attention due to its potential impact on the technology industry and foreign professionals working in the U.S. The administration argues these changes are necessary to protect American jobs and address perceived abuses in the visa system.