Trump Slaps $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas, Amazon, TCS, Microsoft Most Affected

Trump Slaps $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas, Amazon, TCS, Microsoft Most Affected

New Delhi: In a major shake-up for the global tech industry, US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The order, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” takes effect on September 21, 2025, and will remain valid for 12 months unless extended.
The move is expected to have a significant impact on Indian IT professionals and major tech firms, many of which are among the top H-1B visa recipients.
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, Amazon leads with 10,044 H-1B workers, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (5,505), Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
The Trump administration said the measure is aimed at curbing “systemic abuse” of the H-1B program, which it claims has resulted in American workers losing jobs to cheaper foreign labour.
The proclamation highlighted that the number of foreign STEM workers in the US more than doubled between 2000 and 2019, rising from 1.2 million to nearly 2.5 million, while overall STEM employment grew by 44.5% in the same period.
It also cited data showing that IT outsourcing firms have become the most prolific users of H-1B visas, with the share of IT workers in the program climbing from 32% in FY2003 to over 65% in the past five years.
A White House study claimed that companies have closed IT divisions, laid off American employees, and outsourced jobs to H-1B workers to save up to 36% on entry-level salaries. Several large tech firms reportedly laid off thousands of US workers in recent years while simultaneously securing thousands of H-1B approvals.
Following the announcement, companies like Meta and Microsoft issued urgent advisories to employees. Internal emails urged H-1B visa holders not to leave the US for at least 14 days and asked those currently abroad to return within 24 hours to avoid re-entry issues.
Alongside the visa fee hike, the administration also unveiled a new Gold Card visa program, including the Trump Gold Card, Trump Platinum Card, and Trump Corporate Gold Card. These aim to replace many employment-based visas and are designed to attract “extraordinary talent,” such as scientists, professors, artists, and athletes.
India remains the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas, accounting for 71% of all approvals in 2024, with China a distant second at 11.7%. Experts warn that the dramatic fee increase — from the current $215 to $100,000 — could severely restrict opportunities for Indian tech workers and significantly raise costs for US companies reliant on global talent.
President Trump defended the move, saying it will “incentivize companies to hire American workers” while still allowing a pathway for “truly extraordinary people” to work in the United States.