Trump hikes H1B visa fee to $100,000 effective Sunday, Tech giants panicked
In a move, which has shocked the Tech giants, including Meta and Google, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced to impose $100,000 fees on H1B Visa effective this Sunday September 21, 2025
Washington: In a move, which has shocked the Tech giants, including Meta and Google, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced to impose $100,000 fees on H1B Visa effective this Sunday September 21, 2025.
In an executive order signed on Friday September 19, 2025, Trump said the move is to protect the Americans.
H1B Visa is for workers especially those in IT Jobs and in Tech Companies.
Though the H1B visa fee has been hiked for everyone, the worst affected will be the Indians. This is because, as per a rough estimate, over 70% H1B visas issued in the United States are to them.
Shocked and panicked, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp owner Meta and Google owner Alphabet have advised their employees not to leave the country.
The tech companies have also asked their employees who are on leave to come back to the United States as early as possible.
Trump’s Executive Order on H1B Visa
Justifying the decision, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf called H1-B non-immigrant visa programme as one of the most abused visa systems.
“This is supposed to allow highly skilled labourers, who work in fields that Americans don't work in, to come to the United States of America. What this proclamation will do is raise the fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants to $100,000.
BREAKING : Trump officially signs executive order to impose $100,000 fee on H-1B visas ‘annually‘.
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) September 20, 2025
70% of H-1B visa holders are Indians.
Of course, Modi won’t say a word against it. He will just receive birthday wishes, and Bhakts will orgasm over it.pic.twitter.com/nSP0nd2eY1
This will ensure that the people they're bringing in are actually very highly skilled and that they're not replaceable by American workers.
“So to protect American workers and to ensure companies are hiring truly extraordinary people to work in the United States."
Trump agreed and said, “We need workers… We need great workers… And, this pretty much ensures this is going to happen.”
The new visa rule applies to both fresh H-1B applications and extensions, with companies required to pay USD 100,000 upfront for processing and an additional USD 100,000 every year to maintain the visa.
Trump also signed an Executive Order to introduce “Trump Gold Card”.
“It's going to raise billions”, the US President said.
Advisory to H1B, H4 Visa Holders
Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and other companies have advised their employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to stay in the United States, and those who are away to return as ealy as possible.
“If you have H-1B status and are in the US, stay in the country for now", Reuters reported citing an internal note released by Amazon.
The note also asked workers holding H-1B and H-4 visa to return to the US before midnight EDT September 21, 2025.
Cyrus Mehta, a New York immigration attorney, however, said H-1B holders still in India may have missed the deadline due to the lack of timely direct flights.
"H-1B visa holders who are out of the US on business or vacation will get stranded unless they get in before midnight September 21. H-1Bs still in India may have already missed the deadline as there is no way a direct flight from India will get in time," he posted on X.
India Reacts
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs in its response to Trump's new executive order said that the H-1B visa fee hike could have a humanitarian consequences by way of disruption caused for families.
The MEA further said that the government is studying the implications of the hike and hopes that the US authorities will address the matter.
“The government has seen reports related to the proposed restrictions on the US H1B visa program. The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program”, the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released today.
The ministry highlighted that both India and the US have a stake in “innovation and creativity” and the two sides can be expected to “consult on the best path forward”.
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