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Tech giants scramble as Trump's new H-1B visa fee sparks confusion
The new fee is an unprecedented change to the H-1B program, a visa category heavily utilized by tech companies to hire foreign talent. Government data shows that Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among the top recipients of these visas.
In a response to a new proclamation signed by President Donald Trump, major technology companies including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have reportedly advised their H-1B visa-holding employees to remain in the United States and avoid international travel. The proclamation, signed on Friday, imposes a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, a move that has created widespread alarm and uncertainty in the tech industry.
The White House official statement initially led to widespread confusion regarding its application to new versus existing visa holders. In the wake of this, internal memos from Amazon and Microsoft, as published by Business Insider, and a similar memo from Google, urged employees with H-1B visas to return to the U.S. before the proclamation takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Sunday.
The new fee is an unprecedented change to the H-1B program, a visa category heavily utilized by tech companies to hire foreign talent. Government data shows that Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among the top recipients of these visas, as per reports.
Amidst the chaos, as per reports, a White House official said that the new fee will only apply to new applicants, not existing H-1B holders or renewals. Additionally, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified on X that H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country as they normally would, and their ability to travel is not impacted by the proclamation.
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