Trump Slaps $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas, Launches $1M ‘Gold Card’ Residency Program

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered a new $100,000 annual fee for H-1B skilled worker visas, a move likely to hit the tech industry where the permits are widely used.

The measure, which could face legal challenges, was unveiled alongside a $1 million “gold card” residency scheme Trump had previewed earlier. “We’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump said as he signed the orders in the Oval Office.

H-1B visas allow US companies to hire foreign specialists — often engineers and programmers — for three years, renewable up to six. Of the 85,000 issued annually by lottery, about three-quarters go to Indian applicants. Tech giants rely heavily on the program to fill shortages in the US workforce.

Industry leaders, including Elon Musk, have warned against restrictions on H-1Bs, saying US talent alone cannot meet demand. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, appearing with Trump, insisted “all the big companies are on board.”

The new fee will take effect Sunday, with the Homeland Security secretary empowered to grant exemptions. The order expires in a year but can be extended.

In 2024, the US approved about 400,000 H-1B visas, two-thirds of them renewals. Approvals peaked under President Joe Biden in 2022, while rejections surged in 2018 during Trump’s first term.

Separately, Trump introduced a residency fast-track allowing individuals to buy a green card for $1 million, or corporations to sponsor applicants for $2 million. “I think it’s going to be tremendously successful,” he said.