H-1B visa storm! Trump announces annual fee of $100,000, Amazon and Microsoft urgently order employees to return to the U.S.

U.S. President Trump suddenly announced on the evening of September 19 that starting from September 21, a fee of $100,000 per person per year will be imposed on all H-1B visa holders. This policy quickly sparked strong reactions from the tech and finance industries, foreign governments such as India and South Korea, and a large number of visa holders. Many are concerned that the U.S. will lose the highly skilled international talent it has long relied on, putting tens of thousands of families in jeopardy.

Introduction to H-1B Visa: The Gateway for High-Tech Talent in the United States

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa program implemented in the United States since the 1990s, specifically designed for foreign professionals, especially high-skilled workers in fields such as technology, engineering, mathematics, and finance.

Annual cap: Currently, approximately 85,000 slots are issued each year (of which 20,000 are reserved for talents who have obtained a master's or doctoral degree in the United States).

Main source countries: India has long accounted for more than 70%, followed by China.

Employer reliance: Tech giants in Silicon Valley such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Wall Street financial institutions heavily depend on this visa to fill the STEM talent gap.

In the context of the long-term shortage of STEM talent in the United States, the H-1B visa has become an important channel for sustaining innovation, research and development, and competitiveness. Today, Trump's new policy is seen by the outside world as a fundamental challenge to this system.

Tech giants sound the alarm: holders of H-1B employees urgently return to the U.S.

Trump's new policy directly targets the "talent pipeline" of these companies. Amazon's internal immigration team urgently notified employees, requiring all H-1B and H-4 visa holders to remain in the United States; employees overseas must return to the U.S. before 12:01 AM on September 21.

JPMorgan's law firm issued a memorandum advising employees to suspend international travel. Microsoft also issued a warning stating that if they do not return to the U.S. by the deadline, their visa status may be jeopardized.

The H-1B visa, which American companies rely on the most, is likely to become a heavy burden.

By the end of June 2025, Amazon had over 14,000 H-1B employees, the highest in the United States; Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google each had over 4,000 holders.

According to the new regulations, each visa employee will require the company to pay an additional $100,000. For companies that rely on foreign technical talent, this will create significant financial pressure, potentially affecting hiring plans and R&D investments, thus weakening the United States' advantage in global technological competition.

India and South Korea governments: concerned about innovation being hindered

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has immediately expressed its stance, stating that it is studying the impact of this policy and emphasizes the common interests in innovation between the US and India industries. The Indian side further pointed out that this measure could have a "humanitarian impact" on immigrant families, urging the United States to properly address the issue of family reunification.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it will evaluate the potential impact of this policy on South Korean enterprises and high-skilled workers. For both countries, the H-1B visa has been an important bridge for promoting the movement of technical talent, but it may now become a new bottleneck.

Public opinion is divided: panic, anger, and support coexist.

H-1B holder in panic

On the social platform X, a large number of H-1B holders expressed anxiety and fear. Since Indian professionals account for approximately 71% of H-1B visas, many described themselves hurriedly returning to the United States, with airports crowded with immigrant families preparing to return to the U.S. before the deadline.

Another major concern is the financial burden: for entry-level H-1B engineers earning less than $80,000 a year, the $100,000 annual fee is simply unaffordable. A three-year visa amounts to as much as $300,000, making renewal or new applications nearly impossible.

The criticism is rising: it's basically a protection fee.

Many users criticized this policy as "reckless" and "unfair," arguing that it punishes skilled workers and undermines the international talent pool that the U.S. technology industry relies on. Some Indian professionals even pointed out that the policy has discriminatory undertones, questioning whether the Trump administration is targeting specific ethnic groups. Immigration experts have also raised legal concerns on X, describing this fee as a "protection fee" and predicting that it will face judicial challenges in the future.

Supporters believe in protecting local workers

On the other hand, some American netizens support the new policy. They believe it will force companies to review whether they truly need foreign labor and prioritize hiring Americans. Some conservative commentators even praised Trump's approach as a "reset of the labor market" to prevent foreign talent from taking away local opportunities.

Some netizens are worried that innovation in the United States will be hindered, while countries like India may benefit from the return of talent; others jokingly expressed that this policy will "make immigration lawyers billionaires." Some tech advocates are calling for exemptions for startups or key positions to avoid impacting competitiveness.

The White House has not yet responded to external doubts, and the market and various governments are still waiting for further details. The legal community generally expects that this policy will face large-scale litigation challenges.

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