Xin Hua She·2025-09-22 12:03Core Points - The recent announcement by President Trump to raise the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000 aims to ensure that the U.S. attracts high-skilled talent that cannot be replaced by American workers [1][3] - The sudden increase in visa fees has caused confusion, leading many H-1B visa holders to cancel travel plans and prompting companies to advise employees to return to the U.S. before the new policy takes effect [1][3] - The new policy is expected to significantly impact the U.S. technology sector, which heavily relies on H-1B visas to hire foreign professionals [6][8] Industry Impact - The H-1B visa is a temporary non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign professionals, primarily in the technology sector, to fill positions that are hard to staff domestically [6] - Major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are likely to be affected, as they depend on H-1B visas to hire software developers and other skilled workers [6][8] - In the 2024 fiscal year, 64% of approved H-1B visa applications were for computer-related positions, with construction, engineering, and education sectors following [6] Company Concerns - Amazon is the largest employer of H-1B visa holders, with over 9,000 approvals in the 2024 fiscal year, while other tech giants also have significant numbers of approvals [8] - Smaller companies and startups may find the $100,000 fee prohibitive, potentially hindering their ability to hire foreign talent and reducing competitiveness in the tech sector [8] - The Indian IT industry, which heavily relies on H-1B visas, may need to adjust its strategy due to the new policy, as India accounted for 71% of H-1B visa approvals in 2024 [9]