The $100,000 H-1B Fee - A Policy That Undermines American Competitiveness

The recent decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications represents a fundamental misunderstanding of how global talent drives American economic success. While framed as protecting American workers, this policy will likely harm both American competitiveness and the very workers it claims to help.

America's dominance in technology, healthcare, and innovation has been built on a simple principle: attract the world's best talent and let them create value here. This policy abandons that winning strategy for a fundamentally flawed premise that high-skilled immigration is a zero-sum game. The $100,000 fee effectively transforms H-1B visas from a workforce tool into a luxury good. For a medical resident earning $55,000 annually, no hospital will rationally pay twice their salary just for the privilege of hiring them. For a brilliant recent PhD who might revolutionize artificial intelligence or develop life-saving treatments, the fee creates an arbitrary barrier that has nothing to do with their potential contribution to America.