Trump Unveils High-Cost Visa Alternatives, Potentially Disrupting H-1B System
WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Donald Trump is proposing a tiered system of visa options for foreign nationals, ranging from $100,000 to $5 million, offering pathways to U.S.residency and, in certain specific cases, exemptions from U.S.taxes on foreign income. The plan, announced in recent days, aims to replace aspects of the current employment-based visa system, including the widely used H-1B visa.
The initiative includes a “gold card” visa available for a $1 million investment, subject to vetting, offering a path to U.S. citizenship. Companies sponsoring an employee would face a $2 million cost. A “platinum card,” priced at $5 million, would allow foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without U.S. taxation on income earned outside the country. trump initially announced a $5 million gold card in February, which has now evolved into the platinum offering.
According to Lutnick, the gold and platinum cards are intended to supersede employment-based visas currently available to professionals like professors, scientists, artists, and athletes, which also offer paths to citizenship.
The proposals have drawn sharply contrasting reactions. Supporters of stricter immigration controls,such as U.S. Tech Workers, have lauded the move, calling it “the next best thing” to abolishing H-1B visas altogether, which they argue displace American workers. Critics contend that H-1B visas are often used for entry-level positions and can depress wages.
though, immigration policy experts have questioned the legality and practicality of the plan. Doug Rand,a former senior official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during the Biden management, described the proposed fees as “ludicrously lawless,” characterizing the initiative as “fan service for immigration restrictionists.” He suggested the plan is designed to generate headlines and create alarm, without a realistic expectation of surviving legal challenges.
Lutnick indicated that the H-1B fee adjustments and gold card could be implemented by the president, while the platinum card would require congressional approval.
Currently, H-1B visas are distributed through 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 number of H-1B workers.
The proposed changes come amid ongoing debate over the H-1B program and its impact on the U.S. labour market. Many U.S. companies currently utilize consulting firms like Wipro,Infosys,HCL Technologies,Tata,IBM,and cognizant – often outsourcing work to India and employing foreign workers in the U.S. - to reduce costs for tasks such as help desk support and programming.
