Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump’sLatest plans To overhaul, the American immigration system disrupts some of the migrant workers, so they will force the White House on Saturday to make it clear that the new $100,000 fee for visas for skilled technical workers will only apply to new applicants and not to current visa holders.
The president on Friday signed a declaration by Commerce Chief Secretary Howard Lutnick on his side that requires a new fee for what is known as the H-1B visa.
“People who already have an H-1B visa and are currently outside the country will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter,” White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said in a post by X.
Prices will be valid on Sunday at 12:01am. It is expected to expire in a year. But if the government decides it is in the US interest to maintain it, it can be expanded.
The White House in the social media post tried to make it clear that the new rules “do not affect current visa holders’ ability to travel with the United States.”
But immigration lawyers said the White House moves threaten to overturn the lives of many skilled workers, and will have a widespread impact on American businesses.
Kathleen Campbell Walker, an immigration lawyer for El Paso, Texas-based Dickinson Wright, said in a LinkedIn post that the White House “essentially inserts total chaos into existing H-1B processes with a single day’s notice.”
Lutnick told reporters Friday that the fees will be an annual fee for businesses.
But White House officials said Saturday it was a “one-time fee.” When asked if Lutnick’s comments were confusing, an official who was not allowed to comment publicly on the issue and spoke about the terms of anonymity said the new fees “currently do not apply to updates, but that policy is under discussion.”
Meanwhile, the Indian government expressed concern on Saturday that the Trump administration would move. Dramatically raises prices For visas that take high-tech workers from other countries to the United States.
Trump has also deployed a $1 million “gold card” visa for wealthy individuals. The move faces almost certain legal challenges amid widespread criticism he has been escaping Congress.
Certainly, if the move survives legal convening, they will bring in a staggering price increase. Visa fees for skilled workers start from $215.
AP Audio: India has raised concerns about Trump’s plan to raise fees on H-1B visas that will take tech workers to us
Associated Press Correspondent Julie Walker reports on pushbacks and criticism of President Trump’s H-1B visa changes.
India’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Trump’s plan was “explored by all involved, including Indian industry.” The department warned that the measures would likely have humanitarian consequences from the disruptions caused by families. The government hopes that these disruptions can be properly addressed by US authorities.
Over 70% The ones owned by the H-1B visa are from India.
Critics say H-1B visas undermine American workers
H-1B visas that require at least a bachelor’s degree are intended for highly skilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to meet. Critics say the program covers American workers and tempts people from overseas who want to work for just $60,000 a year. That’s far below the $100,000 or more salary that is typically paid to U.S. technology workers.
Trump on Friday insisted that the tech industry would not oppose the move. Meanwhile, Lutnick claimed that “all big companies” were involved.
Representatives from the largest tech companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta, did not respond immediately to messages due to comments. Microsoft declined to comment.
“We are concerned about the impact on employees, their families and American employers,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. “We work with the administration and our members to understand the full meaning and the best path forward.”
Lutnick said the change is likely to result in far fewer H-1B visas than 85,000 CAPs per year allow, as it is “not economical anymore.”
“If I’m going to train people, I’m going to train Americans,” Lutnick said in a conference call with reporters. “If you have a very sophisticated engineer and want to bring them in… you can pay $100,000 a year for an H-1B visa.”
Trump has also announced he will do so. “Gold Card” visas will be on sale There is a path to US citizenship that is $1 million after review. For businesses, employee sponsorship costs $2 million.
Playing cards offer Platinum Cards
The “Platinum Card” will be available for $5 million, allowing foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the US without being subject to US taxes on non-US income. Trump announced a $5 million gold card in February to replace existing investor visas. This is currently a platinum card.
Lutnick said gold and platinum cards will replace employment-based visas that offer a path to citizenship, including professors, scientists, artists and athletes.
Critics of the H-1B visa, who say they’re used to replacing American workers, praised the move. The advocacy group, the US tech worker, called it “the next best thing” to completely eliminate visas.
Doug Rand, a senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Officer during the Biden administration, said the proposed fee hike was “silly and lawless.”
“This is not a real policy. It’s fan service for immigration restrictors,” Rand said. “Trump gets his headline and gives a shock to panic and doesn’t care if this will survive his initial contact with the court.”
Lutnick said H-1B fees and gold cards could be introduced by the president, but the platinum card requires Congressional approval.
Visa dolled out by lottery
Historically, H-1B visas have been kicked out via lottery. This year, Amazon was the top recipient of the H-1B visa, with over 10,000 people awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers.
Critics say that H-1B spots are often not senior positions with unique skill requirements and often go to entry-level jobs. Also, while the program is not intended to take away or drive away US workers, critics say that even if the particular workers hired have more experience, companies can pay less by categorizing jobs at the lowest skill level.
As a result, many US companies are cheaper to contract desks, programming and other basic tasks with Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies and TATA consulting companies, while IBM and IBM and cognitive abilities in the US have often contracted to US employers who seek to save money by hiring foreign workers from India.
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Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Elliot Spagut of San Diego, Lauderdale, Florida, and Paul Wiseman of Washington contributed to the report.
