President Donald Trump talks while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens in the White House’s Oval Office, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo)
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that sets a new annual fee of US$100,000 for highly skilled worker visas. This marks a major increase from the current $215 fee. At the same time, he introduced a new $1 million “gold card” visa aimed at wealthy investors, offering them a path to U.S. citizenship. These changes come amid concerns that Trump is bypassing Congress, and legal challenges seem likely.
The new rules will mean a big jump in costs for employers and investors. Investor visa fees will rise from between $10,000 and $20,000 per year to $1 million. Trump’s move could drastically reduce the number of applications for H-1B visas, which are used mostly in the technology sector.
H-1B visa changes spark debate
H-1B visas require at least a university degree and are meant for jobs that tech companies struggle to fill with American workers. However, critics say companies often use the program to hire foreign workers willing to accept lower wages, sometimes as low as $60,000, which is less than the typical salary for U.S. tech employees.
Trump said he believes the tech industry supports the fee increase. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed “all big companies” agree with the changes. Major tech firms like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta have not publicly commented yet. Microsoft declined to comment.
Lutnick warned the number of H-1B visas would likely drop significantly, saying, “It’s just not economic anymore.” He added, “If you’re going to train people, you’re going to train Americans.”
New “gold card” visas for investors
Along with the fee hike, Trump introduced a $1 million “gold card” visa. This visa gives wealthy individuals a chance to apply for U.S. citizenship after passing a vetting process. Companies can sponsor employees with a $2 million fee.
Trump also plans a $5 million “platinum card” that lets investors spend up to 270 days a year in the U.S. without paying taxes on income earned abroad. This replaces a previous investor visa.
Lutnick explained these new cards will replace existing work visas for professionals such as professors, scientists, artists, and athletes.
Mixed reactions and legal questions
Groups opposing H-1B visas, who say the program hurts American workers, praised the new rules. One advocacy group called it “the next best thing” to ending H-1B visas altogether.
However, critics called the fee hike “lawless” and doubted it would survive court challenges. Doug Rand, a former senior official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, called it “fan service for immigration restrictionists.” He warned it might cause panic but might not hold up legally.
Lutnick said the president can introduce the H-1B fee and gold card visa, but the platinum card needs approval from Congress.
H-1B visa background
H-1B visas are awarded through a lottery system. This year, Amazon received the most, with over 10,000 visas, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California hosts the largest number of H-1B workers.
Many critics say companies use H-1B visas for entry-level jobs instead of highly skilled positions. Companies sometimes pay lower wages by categorizing jobs as lower-skilled, even when the workers have more experience.
Many firms contract work to consulting companies based in India or the U.S., which hire foreign workers and send them to U.S. employers at lower costs.
Visa lottery changes
The number of visa lottery bids fell nearly 40% in 2024, partly due to efforts to stop abuse. Previously, some people submitted many applications to boost chances. Now, each applicant can only enter once.
Tech companies want further changes. Some suggest awarding visas to companies that pay the highest wages, rather than by lottery. This was a goal Trump pushed during his first term.
