Trump Imposes $100,000 Fee on New H-1B Petitions and Unveils $1M Gold Card Visa

President Trump announced a $100,000 supplemental fee on many new H-1B visa petitions filed by companies with large foreign worker populations, alongside a new $1 million "Gold Card" program offering permanent residency. The H-1B fee, framed as protecting American workers, was projected to raise billions annually and sharply curtail the skilled-worker visa program. The Gold Card program created a pay-to-play pathway to a green card outside the traditional immigration queue.