President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation requiring highly-skilled foreign workers on H-1B visas to pay a $100,000 annual fee, a sharp increase from the current $215. He also introduced a $1 million “gold card” visa as a pathway to U.S. citizenship for wealthy individuals, with the new measures expected to face legal challenges.
The H-1B visa program, which mandates at least a bachelor’s degree, is commonly used by U.S. technology companies to hire foreign workers for high-skilled jobs. The new changes are expected to significantly reduce the number of visas issued. “It’s just not economic anymore,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “If you’re going to train people, you’re going to train Americans.”
Under the new proclamation, companies will also be able to sponsor an employee for citizenship at a cost of $2 million. Trump announced an additional “Trump Platinum Card,” priced at $5 million, which would allow foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without paying taxes on non-U.S. income. Lutnick confirmed that while the H-1B and gold card changes could be introduced by the president, the platinum card would require congressional approval.
The gold and platinum cards would replace existing employment-based visas that have offered paths to citizenship for professors, scientists, artists, and athletes. Lutnick explained that the new system is intended to shift away from those categories.
Representatives of major technology companies, including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta, did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. Microsoft declined to comment. However, Lutnick insisted that “all big companies” were in support of the move.
Critics reacted strongly. Doug Rand, a former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official, described the H-1B fee increase as “ludicrously lawless,” saying, “This isn’t real policy it’s fan service for immigration restrictionists. Trump gets his headlines, and inflicts a jolt of panic, and doesn’t care whether this survives first contact with the courts.”
Supporters of the changes, including U.S. Tech Workers, an advocacy group, welcomed the move, calling it “the next best thing” to abolishing H-1B visas altogether. Critics of the program argue that it allows companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor, often in entry-level positions.
The announcement comes as the administration continues to expand its review of visa holders. Authorities are now vetting all 55 million U.S. visa holders in what officials describe as a broad immigration crackdown.
H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 per year, with California holding the largest share of workers. Amazon received more than 10,000 H-1B visas this year, making it the top recipient, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google.
The debate over H-1B visas has been long-running. In 2024, lottery bids for visas dropped nearly 40% after new rules restricted multiple applications per individual, which officials said curbed fraud. Labor groups such as the AFL-CIO have pushed for further reforms, advocating for visas to be awarded based on the highest wages offered rather than through a lottery system.
Trump’s proclamation marks the latest shift in U.S. immigration policy, with potential consequences for both the technology industry and foreign workers.
