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Tech Giants Urge H-1B Visa Holders to Stay in U.S. Amid New White House Fee

Tech Giants Urge H-1B Visa Holders to Stay in U.S. Amid New White House Fee
source: gettyimages
September 20, 2025

In response to recent presidential changes targeting H-1B visa applicants, major U.S. technology companies have issued guidance to their employees holding these visas. The White House announced that President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, prompting firms like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to advise their visa-holding employees to remain in the United States and avoid international travel.

According to reports, these companies have circulated internal memos instructing employees with H-1B visas to stay put and plan their travel accordingly. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have each issued specific directives—Amazon and Microsoft shared memos via Business Insider, while Google’s guidance was reported by Sources. TechCrunch confirmed that these companies have reached out for official comments.

Data indicates that Amazon has issued the most H-1B visas thus far in the current fiscal year, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, with Google occupying the sixth spot.

A White House official told Axios that the new $100,000 fee applies solely to new visa applications, leaving existing H-1B visa holders and renewal processes unaffected.

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