Trump to impose $100k fee for H-1B worker visas, White House says

The $100,000 fee isn't the real route to a visa. See the proclamation text: [1]

(c) The restriction imposed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to any individual alien, all aliens working for a company, or all aliens working in an industry, if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines, in the Secretary’s discretion, that the hiring of such aliens to be employed as H-1B specialty occupation workers is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.

"At the Secretary's discretion" means "get your bribes ready". Lobbyists are probably already working the phones on this.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/rest...

This is the reality, combined with the fact that this was pretty much the status quo already. O-1 visas were also a commonly targeted with lawmaker bribes. This just codifies what was already happening and screws over the smaller companies that don't have the resources, networks, guanxi, etc to play the game.

Judging from reason events, this is just another scourge he can (and will) use against democratic cities or entities

Every change this admin implements needs this examination first. Everyone is in here having earnest discussions about policy pros and cons, but it ain't that country anymore.

The companies the admin favors are being given backdoors for every policy that's presented, and the way to become favored is to present bribes, whether they come in the form of gold plaques, lawsuit settlements, crypto investments, or stock market collusion.

> whether they come in the form of gold plaques, lawsuit settlements, crypto investments, or stock market collusion.

You forgot monopolization, power consolidation, etc

So you are saying this is bullish for QQQ

Well said! This is not a policy, for a policy you need to think about it, analyse effects and stick to it.

We know how decisions are made in this admin, and how shortlived they can be.

Why would someone pay 100k knowing tomorrow this might disappear?

I see, they're just redirecting the firehose.

This thread is a poignant example of why I think tech folks might be one of the most gullible crowds out there - despite being perceived as smart. It's like a perfect storm of attributes and incentives. So here we are, completely preoccupied with picking apart details and effects of visa programs for a blatantly obvious kiss-the-ring initiative that couldn't care less about that.

Quite a while back the exponent podcast did an episode that has stuck with me for a long time about what they called “principal stacks” as an analogue to protocol stacks.

The idea that I left with was to look at the hierarchy of principles not just the set of or claimed principles.

At this point it seems as if the top of the principal stack for those in power isn’t even more power anymore, it’s just grift.