BREAKING: Trump Administration Announces $100,000 Annual Fee for H-1B Visas, Launches ”Golden Card” Program
WASHINGTON D.C. – September 20, 2025 – The Trump administration today unveiled critically important changes to the H-1B visa program, announcing a new annual fee of $100,000 for companies seeking to hire highly skilled foreign professionals. The move, revealed Friday, aims to prioritize American workers and discourage the practice of companies training foreign employees instead of hiring domestically.
Alongside the H-1B fee increase,President Trump announced the creation of a new “Golden Card” program,offering expedited visa processing to individuals willing to contribute a minimum of $1 million to the U.S. Treasury - or $2 million if sponsored by a company.
According to a proclamation signed by President Trump, the increased H-1B visa costs are intended to ensure that any foreign workers hired possess qualifications so exceptional they won’t displace American employees.
“The idea is that large technology companies and other large companies stop training foreign workers,” stated Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick during the declaration. ”They will have to pay the full salary to the employee (in addition to $100,000 a year for the visa). It is indeed not profitable. If they are going to train someone, that it is a newly graduated from one of the best universities in our country. That they train Americans. It is enough to bring foreigners to occupy our jobs.” Lutnick added that ”all large companies agree” with the new policy.
President Trump has previously voiced criticism of the H-1B visa, arguing it can suppress American hiring and drive down wages. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa allowing U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialized occupations, and is frequently utilized by tech companies like those owned by Elon Musk. Estimates suggest approximately 700,000 individuals currently reside in the United States under this visa, with the majority originating from India.
The “Golden Card” program, Lutnick explained, will offer a pathway for ”foreigners with unusual skills” to gain access to the U.S. “This program will create a new way to obtain visas, aimed at foreigners with extraordinary skills that are willing to contribute to the United States by paying one million dollars to the US treasure, or with two million if a company sponsored said individual,” he said.
lutnick asserted the program will attract highly skilled immigrants who will create jobs for Americans, rather than compete for them. He further projected the program will generate over $100 billion for the U.S. Treasury, funds earmarked for tax reduction and public debt reduction.
