<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div>President Donald Trump‘s proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee confused large U.S. companies, prompting the White House to clarify the situation on Saturday.Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue on X, stating that it is not an annual fee but a one-time charge that applies only when the visa petition is filed. <h2>Major Corporate Impact</h2>According to Fortune, major companies like Microsoft MSFT, Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL, and Amazon AMZN quickly instructed their H-1B employees to head back to the U.S. and cancel any travel plans following the visa fee news. JPMorgan JPM and Goldman Sachs GS also issued similar warnings. As of early 2025, Amazon and its cloud unit AWS had received more than 12,000 H-1B approvals, while Microsoft and Meta had each secured over 5,000 approvals.<h2>Legal Backdrop</h2>The new policy comes as tech companies face allegations of discrimination. OpenAI and others have been accused of posting job ads that unfairly prioritize H-1B applicants, often through local newspaper ads that direct candidates to immigration teams. Meta settled with the Department of Justice in 2021 over similar advertising practices, and Apple followed with its own settlement in 2023.<h2>Analyst Warnings</h2>eMarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman warned the U.S. “risks taxing away its innovation edge, trading dynamism for short-sighted protectionism.”Leavitt clarified that the fee only applies to new petitions, not renewals. Those who already hold H-1B visas and are outside the U.S. will not be required to pay the fee to re-enter.<h2>Political Context</h2>According to reports, the H-1B visa issue has previously divided Trump's circle. Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk has been a strong supporter of skilled immigration, stating in December, “The reason I’m in America, along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong, is because of the H-1B.” On the other hand, Vice President J.D. Vance and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have argued for prioritizing American workers over foreign talent.The new policy also introduces a $1 million “gold card” visa for wealthy investors seeking U.S. citizenship. Existing H-1B holders can continue their usual travel, with the new fee only applying to the next lottery cycle for new applications.<ul> <li>Elon Musk Says We’ll All Have ‘Best’ Medical Care, Food, Housing and ‘Everything Else’ And A Universal ‘High’ Income When Robots Take Over By 2030</li> </ul>Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.Photo courtesy: Shutterstock</div></div></div>

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President Trump's proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee has caused confusion among major U.S. tech companies, prompting the White House to clarify that it is a one-time fee for new petitions only. Companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon have advised H-1B employees to cancel travel plans. The policy comes amid allegations of discrimination in hiring practices. Analysts warn that this could harm U.S. innovation. The new policy also includes a $1 million visa for wealthy investors. Existing H-1B holders can travel without incurring the new fee.

- President Trump's proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee has caused confusion among major U.S. companies, leading to clarifications from the White House.  
- Companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon advised their H-1B employees to cancel travel plans, while the new policy comes amid allegations of discrimination in hiring practices.  
- The fee is a one-time charge for new petitions, and existing H-1B holders can continue their travel without incurring this fee.

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Trump's H-1B Visa Plan Stuns Big Tech, White House Says $100,000 Fee Is One-Time Only