Trump's new visa fees spur offshoring talks, hiring turmoil

Core Insights - The Trump administration's new visa fees for H-1B workers are leading companies to consider moving jobs overseas, countering the intended effect of the policy [1][3][6] Group 1: Visa Fee Changes - The new $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B applicants, causing confusion and leading companies to pause recruitment and workforce planning [3][4] - Previously, the visa cost employers only a few thousand dollars, making the new fee significantly more burdensome [6] Group 2: Impact on Companies - High-level discussions are occurring among companies about the feasibility of hiring skilled talent in the U.S. versus overseas [4][7] - Some companies, including Fortune 100 firms, are indicating that the new fee structure is unworkable, prompting them to explore hiring in countries like India [4][6] Group 3: Labor Market Implications - The H-1B visa program has been criticized for suppressing wages and making it harder for U.S. college graduates to find IT jobs [5] - In 2024, approximately 141,000 new H-1B applications were approved, with computer-related jobs making up a majority of these approvals [4]