$100K H-1B visa fee hits Amazon, Google, Meta hardest

The US tech industry players including Amazon, Meta, Apple and Google will be among the most affected by US President Donald Trump’s recent H-1B visa changes.

The administration recently imposed a $100,000 fee (€85,600) on new H-1B visas, leading technology companies such as Amazon and Microsoft to warn employees on these visas that their status in the United States could be imperiled.

The US government has declared that H-1B visas are issued for three years to highly skilled foreign workers to perform services in a specified occupation.

The study, scrutinized by the Pew Research Center, showed that nearly 400,000 of these visas were approved in 2024.

Amazon has received the highest number of H-1B visas, totaling about 15,500 approvals, which are pending for its headquarters in Virginia and Maryland, confirmed by immigration data from the US government.

The UK is already performing efficiently to attract the world’s best scientists and digital experts to drive economic growth under the umbrella of the global talent task force program.

China has reportedly announced a new “K visa” category aimed at drawing young and skilled professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from around the world.

The new rule will take effect from October 1, 2025, and modify regulations on foreign entries and exits.

The European Commission has previously launched a “Choose Europe” programme aimed to give academics financial incentives, to provide a legal commitment, and to ensure freedom.

Experts are of the view that we need more employers to offer handsome packages to captivate the attention of professionals who want to reside in the US.