H-1B visa changes: $100,000 fee's impact on tech hiring
Business
Last year, a new rule introduced a massive $100,000 fee on employers petitioning for H-1B visas in the US.
If you're already on an H-1B or here as a student, you're off the hook—but for everyone else, this change is a big deal and has quickly made waves across the tech industry.
Visa lottery's new rules
Tech giants like Amazon and Google are handling the new costs just fine—actually, higher salary requirements now give them an edge in the visa lottery.
But smaller startups, especially in AI and healthcare, are struggling to keep up since they can't afford these fees or offer big paychecks.
That's making it harder for them to hire top talent, sparking calls for relief and even legal challenges as many worry this could slow down innovation and growth in tech.