WASHINGTON (AFP): United States President Donald Trump is raising dramatically to US$100,000 (RM420,700) the fee for the visa used extensively by high-tech workers, especially from India, a US official says.
The new fee on H-1B visas marks part of a larger crackdown by Trump, who has unleashed a massive push against immigration since returning to the White House but had so far not targeted the visa on which Silicon Valley has long relied.
A US official confirmed that the visa cost would be hiked to US$100,000, compared with just under US$1,000 now. The move was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The Trump administration will also take steps aimed at preventing tech workers visiting on the visa from undercutting wages of native-born workers.
The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system. India accounts for around three-quarters of the recipients. Large technology firms rely on Indian workers who either relocate to the United States or come and go between the two countries.
Tech entrepreneurs – including Trump’s former ally Elon Musk – have warned against targeting H-1B visas, saying that the United States does not have enough homegrown talent to fill important tech sector job vacancies. – AFP
