The Trump administration has introduced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions, sending major U.S. companies scrambling. The H-1B program allows employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields such as technology and finance. Starting Sunday, the new fee will apply to each fresh application. Soon after the announcement, the White House clarified that the charge is a one-time cost and does not affect current visa holders or renewals. Nevertheless, the sudden policy shift triggered urgent calls and memos across Silicon Valley and Wall Street as firms moved quickly to safeguard their employees.
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Major employers of foreign talent, including Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), and Cognizant (CTSH), quickly told H-1B holders to remain in the United States. In the hours after the order, some employees cut vacations short, and others canceled trips to avoid being locked out. Airlines reported passengers asking to deplane after learning about the change. The uncertainty resembled scenes from pandemic travel bans, with workers rushing to make decisions on little information.
Company Impact and Industry Reach
For companies, the impact comes down to cost and planning. Amazon has tens of thousands of staff in the U.S. on H-1B visas. Even if only a fraction of new hires require sponsorship, a $100,000 fee per petition adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Microsoft and Alphabet face similar concerns as they continue to expand cloud, software, and artificial intelligence units. Cognizant, which has long relied on visa hiring for U.S. projects, may see margin pressure if staffing costs rise.
Beyond these firms, other companies in both the tech and finance sectors are also affected. Meta (META), Apple (AAPL), and Goldman Sachs (GS) also rely on H-1B workers for key roles. Infosys (INFY) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are two Indian services companies that often place staff on U.S. projects and now face higher costs. Each of these firms has already been working to increase local hiring, but the new rule adds urgency to those plans.
What Comes Next
The fee could push companies to reconsider where they hire and how they balance global staffing. Some may relocate more roles abroad, while others may absorb the cost of critical hires. Either way, the price of talent is rising. While the White House says the measure will protect U.S. workers, employers argue it reduces the ability to fill specialized jobs that support growth. Investors will be watching how higher staffing costs are reflected in margins, as well as how firms adjust their hiring plans in the months ahead.
Using TipRanks’ Comparison Tool, we brought together all the major companies mentioned in the article that could be affected by the new policy. The tool gives investors a wider view of each stock and allows for a deeper look at the industry as a whole.
