A US-based co-founder and CTO has dismissed concerns over the proposed $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee, joking that he would pay the amount “per day” if needed. The comments by Shahriar Tajbakhsh of London-headquartered Metaview AI come amid a social media stir triggered by Metaview’s hiring campaign in India — the hub of H-1B talent — despite growing anti-H-1B sentiment in the US.
Responding to a post on X that suggested that the H-1b visa fee should be $100,000 per year, and not a one-time fee, Tajbakhsh wrote, “Make it per day. I’ll set up a recurring payment,” signaling that the fee is insignificant compared to the value skilled workers bring to his company.
Moreover, his company shared posters in India, which read “Yes, we still sponsor H-1Bs” and “No, AI won’t build itself,” which were widely shared online. It made Metaview stand apart in an industry where visa sponsorship is increasingly viewed as a liability.
‘Trying to save money on talent is irresponsible’
Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-origin tech entrepreneur and engineer, emphasised that talent is non-negotiable for building transformative products.
"When you sum up the value created by people's hard work, $100,000 just doesn't matter. The only way to build anything meaningful that changes people's lives is to have a world-class team — there's no shortcut around that. Trying to save money on talent is the most irresponsible thing a founder could possibly do," he told Business Insider earlier this year.
Why the $100,000 H-1B fee doesn’t matter
For Tajbakhsh, the debate over visa costs misses the bigger picture. He also confirmed that Metaview plans to submit more H-1B petitions in the next lottery, despite US President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at tightening visa norms. "An organisation's success or failure is a function of its people," Tajbakhsh said.
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