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Political Breakdown

Winners and Losers in Trump’s $100,000 Visa Scheme

Scott ShaferMarisa Lagos
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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 19: U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (C) delivers remarks as President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on September 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump signed a series of executive orders establishing the “Trump Gold Card” and introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. The "Trump Gold Card" is a visa program that allows foreign nationals permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for a $1 million investment in the United States. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

President Trump’s new $100,000 fee for companies sponsoring skilled immigrant workers with H1-B visas is causing turmoil in Silicon Valley. Companies like Google, Apple and Meta are now reassessing the cost of foreign labor, while students and workers question how stable life in the U.S. will be if they choose to come here. Scott and Marisa are joined by Zehi Yang, senior writer at WIRED, to discuss how companies and workers are responding to the visa changes. 

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