Tech Industry Groups Demand Withdrawal of New H-1B Visa Fee Exceeding $100,000
nashnova research
TechNet — representing Apple, Google, Meta, and leading AI firms — formally asked the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed $103,265 fee on most new H-1B applications, bringing the rift between Silicon Valley and the White House over skilled immigration into the open.
How much is the fee, and where did it come from?
The Department of Homeland Security formally proposed last month charging $103,265 per new H-1B visa application.
Earlier, Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced via executive order a $100,000 fee on both new and existing holders — triggering weekend scrambles at tech firms before the government clarified it applied only to new applicants.
Business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued, and a federal judge blocked the fee in June. This means → the charge has not taken effect, but the administration is pushing it again through formal rulemaking.
Why are tech giants pushing back collectively?
TechNet's membership spans Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic — a broad coalition across Big Tech and frontier AI.
The group wrote that the proposal "undermines the President's advocacy for American global competitiveness" and blocks companies from accessing top talent worldwide.
In plain terms = these companies backed Trump on deregulation and tax cuts almost unanimously. This public opposition marks a visible fracture in that alliance.
What does this have to do with the U.S.–China AI race?
TechNet warned the policy risks putting the U.S. behind China in the AI race.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has noted that roughly half the world's AI researchers are from China; restrictive policies could backfire.
Research from the Carnegie Endowment and similar institutions shows a growing number of top scientists from China, South Korea, and Europe choosing to stay home. This reflects a broader trend: the talent contest is no longer just about visas — it is about a global reversal in research migration.
Who gets hurt the most?
Analysts point out that small businesses face the biggest hit — a six-figure visa cost is effectively a ban for startups.
Large companies can absorb the expense, but H-1B remains a critical pillar of the tech workforce and startup ecosystem; Amazon alone hires thousands through the program each year.
This means → if the fee takes effect, the damage extends beyond individual foreign workers to the entire innovation chain that relies on global talent.
What to watch next?
The White House position is clear: push companies to hire American workers first. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and allies argue firms use H-1B to replace domestic staff with cheaper foreign labor.
Companies counter that foreign hires fill specialized roles at competitive pay — not as cut-rate substitutes.
Whether DHS modifies or withdraws the rule will be the key signal for the trajectory of the Silicon Valley–Trump relationship.
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