Visa applicants in the specific category face a charge of $100,000 under Trump's policy
In a move aimed at encouraging U.S. companies to hire American workers, President Donald Trump has imposed a new fee for the H1B visa category. The annual fee, set at approximately $100,000, will be paid by companies bringing in H1B visa holders.
The H1B visas are commonly used by U.S. companies to bring in qualified employees, and a significant number of H1B visa holders come from India. Critics of this visa category argue that it is being misused and takes jobs away from American employees.
Trump's allies have been critical of this visa category for some time, and the new fee is intended to make companies consider if a job candidate is valuable enough to pay the government an additional $100,000 on top of their salary. Commerce Minister Howard Lutnick stated that this fee will make it less attractive for U.S. companies to hire inexperienced employees.
The visa previously only had an administrative fee of a few thousand dollars. The fee will be paid annually and is intended to encourage U.S. companies to hire American workers instead.
In a separate development, Trump also announced the "Trump Gold Card," which allows one to settle in the U.S. for $1 million. The card allows for permanent settlement in the U.S. and is targeted at wealthy individuals and companies who can pay one million or two million dollars respectively for permanent residency or employee visas, as promoted by Trump and his Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
No specific companies have been named as having praised the Trump administration for paying one million dollars for the "Trump Gold Card" to live permanently in the U.S., but the initiative is expected to attract wealthy individuals and companies who can afford the high price tag.
With the planned platinum card, one can stay in the U.S. for up to 270 days a year for $5 million, without having to pay U.S. taxes on income earned outside the U.S. However, the platinum card is not currently available.
Trump had praised the U.S. president at an event at the White House, and a poster next to his desk showed an image of a gold card with Trump's likeness and the Statue of Liberty in the background. The CEOs of major tech companies have been trying to build a closer relationship with the Trump administration.
The new H1B visa fee and the "Trump Gold Card" are the latest developments in Trump's efforts to reshape immigration policy in the U.S.
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