President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation to dramatically reshape the H-1B visa program, introducing a new $100,000 application fee aimed at discouraging overuse and protecting U.S. jobs.
The order mandates the hefty payment in addition to existing charges and restricts entry under the program unless the fee is paid, while allowing case-by-case national-interest exemptions.
According to a White House fact sheet, the administration argues the change will deter companies from replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign labor and reduce abuses of the lottery system used to award visas.
Trump also directed the Labor Department to revise prevailing-wage rules to make it harder for employers to undercut U.S. wages, a move that could particularly affect tech firms and outsourcing companies that depend heavily on H-1B hires.
For more on this story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.