Trump’s proposal of a $100,000 H-1B visa fee confused major U.S. companies, prompting clarification from the White House on Saturday, according to Benzinga. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the fee is a one-time charge applied only when filing new petitions, not an annual fee or renewal charge. Major firms, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, told their H-1B employees to return to the U.S. and cancel travel after the visa fee news, Fortune reported. JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs issued similar warnings. The policy arrives amid discrimination allegations against tech firms for favoring H-1B applicants through targeted job ads. Analyst Jeremy Goldman warned the U.S. risks losing its innovation edge by pursuing short-sighted protectionist policies.
