President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 annual application fee for employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers under the H-1B visa program.
The H-1B system, created in 1990, allows U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers, often in technology and engineering fields. Until now, applicants were selected largely through a lottery system.
The White House said the new fee is designed to limit the program to “the rarest and most highly skilled applicants.” Critics, however, warned the measure would price out smaller firms and startups, forcing them to either abandon foreign recruitment or move jobs overseas.
The H-1B program has long been a political flashpoint, with Trump arguing it disadvantages American workers, while tech companies insist it is vital for filling talent gaps.
