US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications. This move has sent shockwaves through the US tech sector and raised questions about American immigration priorities.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the decision, stating, “Either the person should be valuable enough or they should head home.” He added, “The Company needs to decide. Do they want? Is the person valuable enough to have a hundred thousand dollars a year payment to the government, or should they head home, and they should go higher in America?”
Lutnick emphasized that the policy aims to ensure only “top, top people” gain entry. “Either the person is very valuable to the company and America, or they are going to depart and the company is going to hire an American…Stop the nonsense,” he said.
He further stated, “If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs.”
Trump’s focus on H-1B visas has long been a flashpoint for the tech industry, which relies heavily on foreign talent. Government data indicate that approximately two-thirds of H-1B jobs are in computer-related fields, although the program is also utilized to hire engineers, educators, and healthcare professionals.
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