Trump Administration Plans $100K Fee for High-Skill H-1B Visas Impacting US Workforce Growth

President Donald Trump has imposed a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, sharply increasing the cost for companies seeking to hire skilled foreign workers. The administration argues this measure will encourage hiring of American workers, but experts warn it could severely damage the high-skill immigration channel vital to U.S. economic growth, particularly in technology and innovation sectors. The policy shift coincides with broader immigration crackdowns, including ending deportation protections for Syrian immigrants and stricter immigration enforcement that threatens to reduce the U.S. population growth and workforce size, with potential negative economic impacts. The Congressional Budget Office projects slower population growth and a smaller workforce due to these immigration changes, raising concerns about higher living costs and eldercare shortages. These developments reflect a tension within the Trump administration's economic strategy, which promotes manufacturing and AI growth while restricting the labor supply needed to sustain these ambitions. Critics emphasize that reducing high-skill immigration could undermine productivity and job opportunities for Americans rather than protect them.