White House Clarifies $100K H-1B Visa Fee, Exempting Current Holders
WASHINGTON - The Biden governance has clarified that a proposed $100,000 fee for certain H-1B visa applications will not apply to existing H-1B visa holders, according to recent statements. The fee, initially announced as part of a broader plan to fund border security and overhaul immigration pathways, sparked concern among tech companies and workers already in the U.S.
The proposed fee structure, unveiled alongside plans for “Trump Platinum Cards” aimed at attracting foreign investment, seeks to shift the financial burden of border enforcement onto companies utilizing the H-1B visa program. The Trump Platinum Card, priced at $5 million, woudl grant foreigners up to 270 days in the U.S. without U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income, while a $5 million gold card would replace existing employment-based visas.
These cards,proposed by Lutnick,would perhaps replace employment-based visas currently available to professionals like professors,scientists,artists,and athletes. The move has drawn praise from groups like U.S. Tech Workers, who called it “the next best thing” to abolishing the H-1B visas altogether, arguing they displace American workers.
Though, the proposed fee increase has faced legal challenges. Doug Rand, a senior official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden administration, labeled the fee “ludicrously lawless,” characterizing it as “fan service for immigration restrictionists” unlikely to withstand legal scrutiny. Rand stated, “Trump gets his headlines, and inflicts a jolt of panic, and doesn’t care whether this survives first contact with the courts.”
Historically, H-1B visas have been allocated thru a lottery system. This year, Amazon received the most H-1B visas, exceeding 10,000, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California hosts the largest concentration of H-1B workers.
Critics contend that H-1B visas are often granted for entry-level positions, rather than roles requiring specialized skills. Concerns also exist that companies exploit the program by classifying jobs at lower skill levels to reduce labor costs, potentially undercutting U.S. wages. This has led many U.S. companies to outsource tasks to consulting firms like Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tata, IBM, and Cognizant, which then hire foreign workers, frequently enough from India, and contract them out to U.S.employers.
