'We need the brightest minds, smartest people', Jensen Huang, Sam Altman back Trump's new H-1B visa fees

H-1B visa

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI chief Sam Altman have backed President Donald Trump’s decision to overhaul the US H-1B visa system—even as the move sends shockwaves through Silicon Valley.

Trump announced on Friday that fees for H-1B visas would jump to $100,000 per application, with employers required to provide payment proof before filing petitions. Petitions will also be restricted for 12 months until fees are cleared. The hike marks one of the most dramatic shifts in the decades-old programme, heavily relied on by tech and finance firms to hire talent from India and China—countries that accounted for more than 80% of H-1B holders last year.

Huang and Altman struck an optimistic note when speaking with CNBC’s Jon Fortt, as they also unveiled a blockbuster partnership: Nvidia will invest $100 billion in OpenAI to build vast data centres powered by the chipmaker’s processors.

“We want all the brightest minds to come to the U.S. and remember immigration is the foundation of the American Dream,” Huang said, calling Trump’s new approach “really important to our company and our nation’s future.”

Altman echoed that sentiment. “We need to get the smartest people in the country, and streamlining that process and outlining financial incentives seems good to me,” he said.

The $100,000 price tag is expected to reshape how companies approach hiring and could narrow the pipeline of overseas talent, particularly for mid-sized firms without deep pockets. However, the White House insists the measure will safeguard American workers while drawing higher-value talent.

For Nvidia and OpenAI, though, the message was clear: they see both immigration reform and massive AI infrastructure spending as central to keeping the US ahead in the global tech race.