U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest immigration directive has thrown Silicon Valley and Wall Street into disarray, as companies rush to safeguard their foreign workforce after a sudden visa fee hike.
On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order imposing an annual $100,000 charge on new applications for H-1B visas. The order took effect from 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, leaving little time for businesses to prepare.
While the measure applies only to new applicants, its impact has been immediate. Microsoft, Amazon, JPMorgan, and other employers issued urgent travel advisories, warning employees abroad to return to the U.S. before the deadline.
The H-1B programme has long been a pipeline for skilled workers in technology, finance, and biotechnology. Amazon, which had more than 10,000 holders of H-1B visas as of June 2025, tops the list of corporate beneficiaries. Microsoft and Meta each employ over 5,000 H-1B workers, while Apple and Google rely on thousands more in key roles spanning artificial intelligence, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
Analysts say the new cost structure could change hiring. Paying $100,000 per worker each year is a burden even for the wealthiest firms. Some companies are already exploring alternatives, such as remote hiring, automation, and relocating teams abroad.
A senior industry analyst observed: “The U.S. has just made itself the most expensive destination for global talent. Countries like Canada and Germany will be the winners here.”
Shares of major tech firms were largely steady in Frankfurt on Monday. Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Tesla traded between 0.2% down and 1.1% up, showing investors are still weighing the fallout.
Immigration specialists are questioning whether the executive order will hold up in court. Traditionally, visa fees are set by Congress or through regulatory rulemaking, not presidential decree. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups have already raised concerns, warning that the measure risks repressing innovation pipelines and pushing skilled workers toward competing markets.
The directive may last only a year, but with Trump hinting it could be extended “in the national interest,” global talent pools from India, Nigeria, and elsewhere may think twice before considering the U.S.
