On Friday, September 19th, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visas, up from the current $215, and unveiled a $1 million “gold card” visa offering a pathway to U.S. citizenship for wealthy immigrants.
The H-1B visa program allows highly skilled workers with at least a bachelor’s degree to fill U.S. tech jobs that are difficult to staff domestically. Critics argue the program is sometimes used to hire foreign workers at lower wages than Americans. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the new fee is designed to encourage employers to hire American workers first, while still allowing companies to hire specialized foreign talent at the higher cost.
Under the plan, a “gold card” visa will cost $1 million for individual applicants, with companies able to sponsor employees for $2 million. A “platinum card,” priced at $5 million, allows foreign nationals to stay in the U.S. for up to 270 days without being taxed on income earned abroad. Lutnick said these programs aim to attract top-tier talent and investors, replacing some employment-based visa pathways for professors, scientists, artists, and athletes.
Trump defended the changes, saying they prioritize American workers and reserve H-1B visas for highly specialized roles. Critics, including former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official Doug Rand, called the fee hike “ludicrously lawless” and questioned whether it would survive court challenges.
Historically, 85,000 H-1B visas are issued each year, with 65,000 for general applicants and 20,000 reserved for those with advanced U.S. degrees. Demand often exceeds supply, leading to a lottery system.
