New Visa Fees and Tiered Systemโค Aim to โprioritize High-Earning Foreignโข Workers
theโฃ Trump โฃadministrationโข has announced significant changes to theโฃ H-1B visa program for highly skilled foreign workers, including a new annual โข$100,000โข fee for applications and the introduction of tiered visa options for wealthy individuals and sponsoring companies. Theseโฃ changes areโฃ framed as a โwayโ to prioritize skilled workers who โwill contributeโ significantly to the U.S. economy and reduce competition for American jobs.
During a press conference, former President Trump โhighlighted the issue of foreign students excelling in U.S. โeducation only to be unable to remain in the country after graduation. He likened the new fees to a “signing bonus” in professional sports,โข suggesting corporations will absorbโ the costโ to retain โvaluable employees.
Currently, H-1B visas, requiring at least a bachelor’s degree, are โขintended to fill high-skilled positions in fields like technology where U.S.โ workers are scarce. Though, critics argue the program has become a source of lower-wage labor, with some H-1B workers earningโข as little as $60,000 annually – significantly less than the typical salaries โฃfor โขU.S.โค tech professionals.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pointed to the existing employment-based Green Card program,which admits 281,000 people annuallyโ earningโ an average ofโ $66,000 per โฃyear.โข He also โขstated that recipients of theseโ Green Cards areโฃ five times more likely to require government financial โขassistance.
The administration argues the new system will shiftโค the focus towards attracting individuals who will contribute financially and economically.Lutnick asserted theโฃ changes will generate over $100 billion for the U.S., with funds earmarked for tax cuts โคand debt reduction.
Theโค centerpiece of the new systemโ is โคthe introduction of the “Trump Card” visa program,โ featuring multiple tiers:
* “Trump Gold Card”: Available for a $1 million contribution (plusโ processing and โvettingโฃ fees), this โคvisa offersโข a pathway to U.S. โฃresidency.
* Company Sponsorship (Gold Card): Companies sponsoring โคan employeeโ will incur a $2 million cost.
* โโค “Trump Platinum Card”: Priced at $5 million, this visa allows foreigners to spend up to โค270 days in the U.S. without being subjectโข to U.S.taxes on income earned outside the country.This โขreplaces a โคpreviously announcedโฃ $5โฃ million “Gold Card” proposal.
Former President Trump emphasized the financialโ benefits of the program, stating that individuals andโ corporationsโค will “spend a โฃlot of money to come in” and that โthe initiative โwill generate “billions and billionsโ of dollars.” He contrasted theseโ visa holders with undocumented immigrants,assertingโค theyโฃ are “veryโฃ productive โคpeople” who will โcontribute to the economy.
The โadministration frames theseโ changes as a reversal of what they describe as โa previous “open-border” policy that โขdisadvantaged American workers. Lutnick stated the new programs “guarantee โthat โrecipientsโฆmust provide significantโ benefit to our great country,” andโค aim to end the practice of โขforeign workers โ”taking jobs away from hard-working Americans.”