On Friday, former President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing major changes to U.S. immigration policy. The new rules include a $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications for skilled foreign workers and a new $1 million “gold card” visa program that offers a path to citizenship for wealthy individuals. These changes are expected to face strong legal opposition and widespread criticism for bypassing Congress.

If upheld, the policy would dramatically raise costs for visa applicants. The H-1B application fee would increase from $215 to $100,000 annually. Fees for investor visas, popular in Europe, would also rise to between $10,000 and $20,000 per year.

The H-1B program is meant for high-skilled jobs requiring at least a bachelor’s degree and is commonly used by tech companies. Critics argue it allows companies to hire foreign workers at much lower wages — sometimes around $60,000 annually — compared to over $100,000 typically paid to U.S. tech workers.

Despite the criticism, Trump insisted the tech industry supports the plan. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed this, claiming that “all big companies” are in favor.

However, major tech firms like Amazon, Google, Apple, and Meta did not respond to requests for comment. Microsoft declined to comment. Lutnick noted that due to the high costs, fewer H-1B visas will likely be issued in the future, stating, “It’s just not economic anymore.”

He added, “If you want to hire a top engineer from abroad, you can pay $100,000 for the visa — otherwise, train Americans.”

Trump also introduced a $1 million “gold card” visa, offering a pathway to U.S. citizenship after vetting. For companies sponsoring employees, the cost will be $2 million. An even more exclusive “Trump Platinum Card” will cost $5 million and allow holders to stay in the U.S. for up to 270 days without paying U.S. taxes on income earned abroad.

These new programs would replace many employment-based visas, including those used by academics, artists, scientists, and athletes.

Groups that oppose the H-1B program welcomed the changes. U.S. Tech Workers, an advocacy group, praised the move as “the next best thing” to eliminating the visa program altogether.

Doug Rand, a former official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Biden administration, criticized the move, calling it “blatantly unlawful.”

“This isn’t real policymaking — it’s a political stunt meant to appeal to anti-immigration supporters,” he said. “Trump gets the headlines, creates fear, and doesn’t care if this stands up in court.”

Lutnick noted that the president can implement the H-1B fee and gold card, but congressional approval would be needed for the platinum card.

H-1B visas are typically distributed through a lottery system. In 2024, Amazon received over 10,000 visas, more than any other company, followed by firms like Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California remains the top destination for H-1B workers.

Critics argue the program is often used to fill entry-level positions rather than specialized roles, and companies save money by classifying jobs at the lowest allowable skill levels, even if the employee is more experienced.

This system has allowed many U.S. companies to outsource basic tasks like IT support and programming to consulting firms. These firms — such as Wipro, Infosys, HCL, and Tata in India, and IBM and Cognizant in the U.S. — often hire foreign workers and then contract them out to U.S. employers.

Interestingly, First Lady Melania Trump once held an H-1B visa in 1996 to work as a model.

In 2024, the number of H-1B lottery applications dropped nearly 40%, due in part to new measures aimed at stopping applicants from submitting multiple entries to boost their chances of being selected.

Tech companies had pushed for reforms after the surge in applications made it harder for their employees and recruits to be selected. This year, U.S. immigration authorities limited each applicant to one entry in the lottery, regardless of how many job offers they had.

While critics welcomed this change, many say more reform is needed. The AFL-CIO has called for visas to be awarded based on salary levels rather than chance — a policy Trump previously supported during his first term.