BREAKING: Trump Drops $100,000 H1B Visa Bomb That Just Sent Tech Stocks Crashing
Last Updated on September 20, 2025 by Jhonni Jets
The move that nobody saw coming just changed everything for Silicon Valley
In a stunning executive order signed Friday evening, President Donald Trump imposed a jaw-dropping $100,000 annual fee on H1B visa applications, sending shockwaves through the tech industry and triggering an immediate stock market selloff.
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The Numbers That Will Make Your Head Spin
The new fee, which takes effect September 21, 2025, applies to each H1B worker for each year of their three-year visa period – meaning companies could pay up to $300,000 total per foreign employee.
To put this in perspective: Amazon alone had over 12,000 H1B visa approvals in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta each had over 5,000 approvals. Do the math – that’s potentially $1.2 billion annually just for Amazon’s H1B workforce.
Tech Stocks Already Bleeding
The market reaction was swift and brutal:
- Cognizant Technology Solutions crashed nearly 5%
- Indian tech giants Infosys and Wipro plummeted 2-5%
- Major tech firms refused to comment, but their silence speaks volumes
The Human Impact: 71% Indian, 12% Chinese Workers Affected
Last year, 72% of approved H1B petitions went to people born in India, 12% to those from China, and 71% went to men. This isn’t just a policy change – it’s a potential exodus that could reshape Silicon Valley’s workforce overnight.
“Big Companies Are On Board” – Really?
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed Friday that “all the big companies are on board” with the $100,000 annual fee. But if that’s true, why did tech stocks immediately tank when the news broke?
The Legal Bombshell Nobody’s Talking About
Here’s what could kill this entire plan: Legal experts are questioning whether Trump can legally impose such massive fees, since Congress has only authorized the government to set fees to recover the cost of processing applications.
Translation: This could be tied up in courts for months.
The “Gold Card” Twist
As if a $100,000 fee wasn’t enough, Trump also unveiled a “$1 million gold card” program for fast-track visas – essentially creating a VIP immigration lane for the ultra-wealthy.
What This Really Means
The White House proclamation specifically calls out companies that “laid off their qualified and highly skilled American workers and simultaneously hired thousands of H1B workers,” citing one software company that was approved for over 5,000 H1B workers while laying off more than 15,000 employees.
This isn’t just about fees – it’s economic warfare against the current tech hiring model.
The 12-Month Countdown
The restriction expires in 12 months unless extended, meaning this could be a test run for even more dramatic changes ahead.
Bottom Line
Whether you love it or hate it, Trump just fundamentally altered the economics of tech hiring in America. The question isn’t whether this will change Silicon Valley – it’s how dramatically, and whether the industry’s lobbying power can stop it.
The clock starts ticking at 12:01 AM EDT on September 21, 2025. And for thousands of H1B workers and their employers, everything just changed.
This is a developing story. Stock prices and policy details may change rapidly.
