Trumponomics Who Loses—and Maybe Wins—From Trump’s New H-1B Fee
Sep 24, 2025
Michael Deng, a Geoeconomics Technology Analyst at Bloomberg, and Chetna Kumar, a Geoeconomics Analyst specializing in India’s tech sector, delve into the implications of Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee. They discuss how this change will heavily impact U.S. industries that rely on foreign tech talent, particularly smaller firms. Chetna highlights a potential silver lining for India, suggesting that the fee could spur growth in domestic R&D and capabilities. The duo also debates whether this policy risks pushing specialized talent elsewhere and the broader geopolitical repercussions.
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$100K H-1B Fee Disrupts Tech Talent Flows
- The Trump administration placed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, hitting travel and visa processes immediately.
- This change threatens companies that rely on imported skilled tech labor and raises big questions about US tech competitiveness.
Travel Chaos After Fee Announcement
- Thousands of H-1B workers abroad were told to return to the US by midnight to avoid being stranded.
- The White House later clarified the fee applies only to new applicants, but the panic revealed operational confusion.
Software And Niche Tech Sectors Rely On H-1Bs
- Two-thirds of H-1B usage is in software and IT, including Indian service firms like Tata and Infosys.
- Adjacent niche industries such as semiconductors also rely on a smaller pool of specialized foreign talent.