Tech's biggest players are scrambling to protect their foreign workers after President Trump's surprise $100,000 H-1B visa fee sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft issued urgent memos Friday telling thousands of employees with H-1B visas to stay put in the US and avoid any foreign travel as the policy takes effect Sunday night.
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are in full crisis mode tonight after President Trump's bombshell H-1B visa changes caught the entire tech industry off guard. The companies fired off urgent internal memos Friday warning their foreign workers to cancel any travel plans and get back to US soil before Sunday's midnight deadline.
The chaos started when the White House announced Trump had signed a proclamation requiring employers to pay a staggering $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa application. That's a massive jump from current fees that typically run a few thousand dollars, and it sent tech executives scrambling to assess the damage to their international workforce.
Business Insider obtained the internal memos from Amazon and Microsoft, while Sources leaked Google's warning to employees. The message was consistent across all three companies: if you have an H-1B visa, don't leave the country right now, and if you're already abroad, get home fast.
The timing couldn't be worse for these companies. Government data shows that Amazon employees have received more H-1B visas than any other company so far this fiscal year. Microsoft ranks third on the list, while Google sits at sixth place. Meta and Apple also crack the top five, meaning Trump's move hits the heart of Silicon Valley's talent pipeline.
What makes this particularly jarring is how sudden it was. Tech companies have built their entire hiring strategies around the H-1B program, using it to recruit top engineering and technical talent from around the world. The visa program has been crucial for companies trying to fill specialized roles in AI, machine learning, and software development where qualified US workers are scarce.
The $100,000 fee represents more than just money - it's a fundamental shift in how America approaches skilled immigration. For context, that fee is roughly equivalent to a starting engineer's salary at many companies. It effectively prices out smaller startups and consulting firms while creating a two-tier system where only the biggest tech giants can afford to bring in international talent.
