Trump announces financial charge of $100,000 for applications of H-1B visas
US President Donald Trump has made a significant move in the tech industry by introducing a new $1 million "Trump Gold Card" visa and increasing the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000.
The new "Trump Gold Card" visa offers a potential pathway to US citizenship for accepted applicants under an expedited process. Companies can sponsor individuals for this prestigious visa.
The H-1B visa program, designed for highly skilled workers to lawfully work in the US for a limited period of three years, has been a popular choice among tech companies. In 2025, over 70% of approved H-1B beneficiaries were from India.
The top US companies with the most approved H-1B visa applications in the first half of 2025 were Amazon, with over 12,000 visas approved, followed by Microsoft and Meta, each with over 5,000 approvals. Significant numbers of visas were also granted to Indian outsourcing companies like Infosys (8,100 visas), Cognizant (6,300 visas), and Tata Consultancy Services (5,300 visas), as well as tech giants Google (5,400 visas) and Apple (3,900 visas).
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the new fee is intended to encourage companies to recruit more US citizens as workers. Lutnick also mentioned that all major companies are on board with the new fee and have agreed to the changes. Trump himself stated that tech companies will be "very happy" with the new fee.
However, it is currently unclear how and when the new fee will take effect. The current H-1B fees range from $1,700 to over $4,000, making the new $100,000 fee a substantial increase.
This move by President Trump is expected to have a significant impact on the tech industry and the immigration landscape in the US.
