Trump's new visa policy inspires mostly sour response from tech firms [View all]

Source: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump's new visa fees for foreign workers drew widespread condemnation from technology executives, entrepreneurs and investors across social media, with just a few outliers, as many saw it as a major blow to a sector that contributed millions to his re-election campaign.

Technology executives and investors said the new fees could add millions of dollars in costs for companies and disproportionately hurt startups, which may not be able to afford visas as part of their strategy.

In a confusing set of announcements beginning late Friday, Trump and other White House officials said they would charge firms $100,000 apiece for H1-B worker temporary employment visas, used by many tech majors, including Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms.

Many criticized the move and the chaotic roll-out that required the White House to clarify the hefty fees would be charged just once, not annually, and they would not apply to existing holders, including those who happened to be overseas at the time of the announcement.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/trumps-new-visa-policy-inspires-mostly-sour-response-tech-firms-2025-09-22/