Amazon, Meta, Apple Lead H-1B Sponsorship As Trump Administration Hikes Visa Cost By $100,000 | Business News

US Firms Boost H-1B Sponsorship Even as Trump Makes Hiring Costlier

Amid the US President Donald Trump-led Administration’s move to make it costlier for US firms to hire foreign workers, companies are reportedly increasing sponsorship for H-1B visas. Trump administration has hiked the annual fee for H-1B visas to a staggering $100,000, a decision expected to significantly impact businesses that rely on high-skilled foreign talent, particularly from India and China.

Coincidentally, US companies are pushing to sponsor more H-1B visas than before in history, according to a report by Newsweek. The report states that consulting, finance, and tech firms were the main beneficiaries of year-on-year gains via sponsorship, although it has spread across different industries.

The rising sponsorship of H-1B visas by US companies has caused worries among US employees, who have fears of being replaced by from cheap foreign workers like Indians or Chinese.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations that require technical or theoretical expertise, such as in IT, engineering, finance, healthcare, and science. It is one of the most common ways for skilled workers from countries like India and China to work in the U.S. temporarily.

Amazon is the largest H-1B sponsor with approvals increasing from 9,257 in 2024 to 10,044 in 2025, as per the report. Amazon is followed by Meta, Apple and Microsoft in promoting the sponsorships of H-1B visas.

The Newsweek report said that even those companies that have announced layoffs are pushing harder to hire more H-1B visas workers as an attempt to cut costs.

The White House proclamation restricts the entry of foreign nationals under the H-1B category — used to employ skilled professionals in specialised occupations — unless a USD 100,000 payment accompanies each petition. Employers will now be required to retain proof of payment, which will be verified by the Secretary of State during the visa process.

Announcing the move at the Oval Office, Trump said the hefty fee would ensure that only the “very highly skilled” are brought into the country and would prevent companies from replacing American workers with cheaper foreign talent. “We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” the President remarked while signing the proclamation in the presence of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The administration claims the move will protect American jobs and ensure only the “most skilled” foreign workers enter. But the sharp increase is set to hit Indians the hardest. India accounts for the overwhelming majority of H-1B holders, and the new costs could reshape hiring patterns in both Silicon Valley and Indian IT.

Until now, H-1B visas have carried various administrative fees totalling around $1,500, as per BBC. Under the new system, sponsoring a worker could cost as much as $300,000 over a typical three-year H-1B term.