Trump Slaps $100K Fee On H-1B Visas; Microsoft, JPMorgan Warn Employees To Stay In US

US President Donald Trump on Friday (19 September) signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, effective 21 September for one year, reported Hindustan Times.

He alleged “systemic abuse” of the programme by outsourcing firms, calling it a “national security threat” that displaced American workers.

Trump said, “The H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers… but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers.”

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters the measure would “ensure US companies hire more American talent while sending less valuable foreign workers back.” Indians, who account for over 70 per cent of H-1B holders, face the sharpest impact.

Immigration lawyer Sophie Alcorn warned the fee could limit job mobility, make renewals costly, and push workers toward Canada, the UK, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia.

Microsoft and JPMorgan reacted swiftly. In an internal email, Microsoft told staff, “We strongly recommend H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US tomorrow before the deadline.”

It also urged them to avoid international travel for the foreseeable future.

JPMorgan’s immigration counsel issued similar advice.

Some Indian technologists on H-1B visas expressed doubt about the order’s legality, expecting court challenges.

The programme, created by Congress in 1990, grants 65,000 visas annually plus 20,000 for advanced degree holders.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow insisted H-1B should “supplement, not supplant” the economy.

Vice President JD Vance criticised tech firms for seeking foreign visas while laying off Americans.

Conservative voices like Steve Bannon oppose H-1B entirely, though Trump defended it, saying, “It’s a great programme. I have many H-1B visas on my properties.”

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