The White House moved Friday to defend American workers from unfair competition by foreign labor. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applicants, a program long criticized for displacing U.S. workers. The order ensures that companies can only bring in foreign employees if they are truly exceptional and worth the steep cost.
A senior White House official explained the decision, noting that the fee will raise the bar for participation in the program. “This will make sure the people they’re bringing in are actually very highly skilled, not easily replaceable by American workers,” the official said. “It protects Americans while allowing companies to hire extraordinary talent when necessary.”
The H-1B visa program, created in 1990, has become the largest pathway for foreign nationals seeking highly skilled jobs in the U.S. These visa holders often transition to permanent residency, granting them indefinite stays. Every year, demand far outstrips the 85,000 visas available, leading to a lottery system. While popular with major corporations, the program has drawn sharp criticism for undermining wages and opportunities for American citizens.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed the administration’s stance at the White House. “If you’re going to train somebody, train one of the recent graduates from one of our great universities,” he said. “Stop bringing in people to take our jobs. That’s the policy here.” The message reflects the administration’s priority of putting American workers first, especially at a time when many U.S. graduates struggle to find good-paying positions.
Troubling numbers reinforce the criticism. Between 2022 and 2024, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft laid off tens of thousands of American employees while securing more than 61,000 H-1B visas combined. As Eric Ruark of NumbersUSA pointed out, “The H-1B program is designed specifically to allow employers to replace and displace qualified American workers with cheaper, often less competent foreign guest workers.” Trump’s action seeks to end this imbalance and restore fairness to the labor market.