These companies will stop sponsoring H-1B visas for some tech jobs in wake of Trump’s $100K fee

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | October 16, 2025 | Ko Lyn Cheang

[KingofZion]

Major employers that historically have hired large numbers of H-1B employees have begun disqualifying job seekers who require H-1B visa sponsorship since President Donald Trump used his executive power to impose a new $100,000 fee on applications for the work visa.

Silicon Valley and tech leaders have been split over the policy, with some arguing the fee would hurt innovation as many startups won’t be able to hire top talent and others saying they are willing to pay it to get the best workers.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the fee is meant to encourage companies to turn to American workers instead of foreign workers, and ensure those entering on this visa are only the “top, top people.”

Still, other tech giants, notably, the Silicon Valley-based semiconductor and computing company Nvidia, have vowed to continue to apply for H-1Bs.

The new visa fee could dramatically reshape how American companies hire, recruit and train talent. Already, some companies appear to be pivoting to recruiting American workers although many other tech executives reiterated a commitment to facilitating immigration of skilled workers.

The policy is being challenged in court by a coalition of organizations.

Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, responded to a request for comment by stating that this policy “gives certainty to American businesses who actually want to bring high-skilled workers into our great country but have been trampled on by abuses of the system.”

“President Trump promised to put American workers first, and this commonsense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages,” Rogers wrote in a statement. “Americans have many reasons to celebrate this unprecedented action by President Trump to protect Americans from cheap, foreign labor.”

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[sten]

you realize the left has been tailoring the admissions since about 2008 to insure white and oriental males were vastly under represented at the university level in order to promote DEI

[sten]

i spent a couple of years in san francesspool during the late 90s coming straight from 15+yrs in washdc... couldn’t take the street pooping and the in-your-face rainbow people (they devolved into a whole rainbow of freaks since then).

i wasn’t there for the H-1bs post 2000, tho i could imagine it.

net result is companies full of indians and chinese who wouldn’t be in those positions without the H-1b program and their control of the recruiting pipeline post-2005.

while the American leftists may not have wanted it... they had no say as they lost control (mostly) of recruiting and hiring (once the H-1bs crawl into management it was all over)

[bobcat62]

The $100,000 fee was to make the H1B problem go away. Problem is, the voices against H1B grow louder every day.

[faithhopecharity]

Yes. It is rank raw racism

[sten]

indeed

[KC_Conspirator]

What a shame! Replacing good workers with a contracted H1B that they dont have to pay benefits for, and getting a lower quality of work. Been in this game for decades, glad its finally being addressed.