President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed a staggering $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, a move critics warn will damage the U.S. economy, undercut diversity in the workplace, and limit opportunities for highly skilled immigrant workers.
The policy increases the cost of sponsoring an H-1B worker from a range of $2,000–$5,000 to a one-time charge of $100,000 per petition. For employers, bringing in engineers, doctors, researchers and other specialists from abroad has become far more expensive.
The H-1B visa, first introduced in 1990, enables U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals for “specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree. The program is capped at 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 reserved for foreign graduates of American master’s and doctoral programs.
Supporters of the new fee, including Trump officials, say the measure will curb abuses of the program and prioritize American workers. But in Houston, reactions from immigrant professionals reflect a complex debate about competitiveness, diversity, and the nation’s future workforce.
Community advocate Dr. Hakeem Tijani argues that America must be careful not to rely too heavily on foreign labor while neglecting its own talent pipeline.
“It is an indicting statement to say that as a nation you’re not producing smart people,” Tijani told the Defender. “In the last 20 years, this beautiful, wonderful nation of ours has produced some of the best engineers, some of the best cybersecurity guys. Why are we so very quick to import everybody from all over the place?”
Tijani, who has a teenage son planning to study sports medicine, worries about what it means for young Americans if companies assume certain jobs will always be filled by immigrants. He doesn’t oppose the H-1B program but believes the government has the right to assess its long-term impact.
“There should be a balance,” he said. “If you need someone so badly and they’re so qualified, you should be willing to pay the sacrifice. But don’t tell your children they are not good enough.”
Dr. Hakeem Tijani
“There should be a balance,” he said. “If you need someone so badly and they’re so qualified, you should be willing to pay the sacrifice. But don’t tell your own children that they are not good enough.”
Other professionals see the move differently. Ukeme, a Houston resident who requested partial anonymity, warns the fee will drive talent and companies out of the U.S. altogether.
“This policy will actually force a lot of the world to divest from the United States,” she said. “You can’t have it both ways. Just saying ‘America first’ doesn’t mean anything if there are no experts who take the job.”
Ukeme believes companies will look to Canada, China and other nations with friendlier visa systems.
“Short term, they might try to work with other countries remotely,” she explained. “But in the long run, we will see companies exiting the U.S. Whatever is supposed to make America first in that scenario actually does a lot of hurt.”
The stakes for Black professionals
Africans account for just 1.5% of H-1B visas issued last year, compared to nearly 70% for India. For Black professionals from Africa and the Caribbean, the fee hike could make access to U.S. opportunities even more challenging, just as their global competitiveness is increasing.
In Houston, where immigrant communities fuel industries from energy to healthcare, that exclusion has ripple effects. Many of the firms most reliant on H-1B visas—Amazon, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase and others are also companies that tout diversity and inclusion goals. Limiting the flow of international Black talent could slow progress in representation within those workplaces.
Economists say the impact will likely be uneven. Large firms with deep pockets may pay the fee without blinking, while smaller startups, often more innovative and willing to pay fair wages, will be priced out. That could further entrench inequalities in the job market.
“Balance sheets must be balanced,” Ukeme said. “If we shut out expertise, we will pay for it somewhere else.”
