(Bloomberg) — The Trump administration’s steep new visa fees for highly specialized H-1B work visas have rattled US businesses, but most big companies are staying quiet as they wait to see how the policy plays out.
The White House’s announcement Sept. 19 of a $100,000 fee sparked panic among employers and workers, particularly in the tech sector, which uses it to bring in trained engineers and programmers. A separate proposal released Tuesday would overhaul the annual lottery for H-1B visas, giving applicants with higher-paying job offers a better chance of being chosen.
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Together, the changes amount to one of the most sweeping shifts for a program that’s long served as a pipeline for global talent to the US.
The initial frenzy has eased after officials clarified the fee wouldn’t apply to existing visa holders or renewals. But unease persists ahead of the 2026 lottery, even with a White House proposal for a national-interest exception that could cover doctors and certain other workers.
For businesses, one advantage of the wait-and-see approach is to avoid drawing the ire of the Trump administration, said Kathryn Wylde, chief executive officer of the Partnership for New York City.
“The president has the business community spooked with regard to any public criticism of his policies,” she said. The concern isn’t just the price tag, she added. “It’s the whole question of, ‘Is America withdrawing from the global economy?’”
Behind the scenes, companies including Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. have advised current H-1B holders and employees with pending petitions to return to the US immediately and avoid foreign travel.
The $100,000 fee, which took effect Sept. 21, and the new wage-based visa selection process are likely to face legal challenges. If the fee survives, it’s likely to reallocate visas toward higher-wage positions in sectors such as technology, finance and health care, while pushing out lower-wage positions in areas like education, Bloomberg Economics said in a report.
“Immigration has always been and will continue to be a very politically charged topic,” said Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. “Wading into these waters carries incredible reputational risk, which is why companies don’t do it.”