$100,000: Trump's new move that threatens Israelis
The Trump administration is advancing a new $103,000 fee on H-1B visas for skilled workers, aiming to protect American workers. The move is expected to deter employers from hiring foreign workers and generate about $8.8 billion annually. Hundreds of Israelis are employed in the US through this visa.
The Trump administration announced the advancement of a new and exceptionally high fee on H-1B visas, which are intended for highly skilled foreign workers, primarily in the technology industries. The new fee will be $103,000 and will also apply to workers already in the United States. The stated goal is to protect American workers and prevent companies from hiring foreign workers at lower wages. In the US, it was estimated that the fee would generate about $8.8 billion annually. Many experts criticized the move, arguing it would severely harm the American labor market. Demand for H-1B visas is high: this year, 211,000 applications were submitted, but only 85,000 visas are issued each year. Hundreds of Israelis reside and work in the US through this visa, but most visas are granted to workers from India, China, the Philippines, South Korea, and Mexico. Two months ago, a similar step encountered legal difficulties, and a federal judge canceled the fee in June. The administration announced it would appeal the decision, and simultaneously is advancing the new fee, reflecting a broader policy.