Core Points - The new policy significantly increases the application fee for H-1B visa applicants to $100,000, which may heavily impact the U.S. tech industry that relies on foreign skilled workers [1][2][3] - The policy aims to incentivize companies to hire American workers instead of foreign talent, as stated by President Trump and Commerce Secretary Ross [2][4] - The new fee structure applies only to new applicants and does not affect current H-1B visa holders or their renewals [1][4] Group 1: Impact on Companies - Major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, which depend on H-1B visas for hiring foreign employees, are likely to be adversely affected by the increased costs [2][3] - In the first half of 2025, Amazon alone received over 10,000 H-1B visas, while Microsoft and Meta each received over 5,000 [2] - The new fee may lead companies to reconsider their hiring strategies, potentially shifting jobs overseas, particularly in research and development [2][3] Group 2: Visa Application Details - The H-1B visa application fee has increased to over 60 times the previous amount, which was only a few thousand dollars [1][2] - The annual cap for new H-1B visas is set at 85,000, with 65,000 available for general applicants and 20,000 reserved for those with U.S. graduate degrees [5] - The new "Golden Card" program allows foreign individuals with extraordinary abilities to expedite their visa process by paying $1 million or having a company sponsor them for $2 million [3]

Group 1 - The announcement by President Trump to increase the fees for H-1B visa applications to $100,000 aims to ensure that only high-skilled talent that cannot be replaced by American workers is brought into the U.S. [1] - The new fee structure is expected to impact major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, which have relied on the H-1B visa program to hire foreign employees, including software developers [1] - The annual cap for new H-1B visas is set at 85,000, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [1] Group 2 - The introduction of the "Golden Card" program allows foreign individuals with extraordinary abilities to obtain expedited visa processing by paying $1 million to the U.S. Treasury or having a company sponsor them for $2 million [2]