On Friday, September 19, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee for processing visa applications for skilled foreign workers (H-1B). This was reported on the White House website.
The new fee is being introduced to stop abuses of the H-1B visa program, which are costing American workers their jobs. The executive order restricts entry under the H-1B program without payment of the specified amount.
Currently, fees associated with the H-1B visa include $215 for lottery registration and $780 for Form I-129. H-1B visas are distributed through a lottery system.
With another decree, Trump launched a new visa program for the world’s wealthiest people. Individuals will be able to pay $1 million to obtain a US residence permit under the Trump Gold Card program after paying a registration fee and passing a background check.
A “Platinum Card” will soon be available for $5 million, allowing holders to “spend up to 270 days in the US without any obligation to pay US taxes on income earned outside the US.”
Companies that pay $2 million per employee will be able to obtain an unlimited number of US residence permits for them, with the option of transferring access from one employee to another for a fee and with DHS verification.