In a rare show of bipartisanship, three Republican lawmakers have joined their Democratic colleagues in urging President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to reconsider the newly imposed $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. The lawmakers argued that the steep hike could discourage foreign talent and hurt American businesses that rely on highly skilled workers from abroad.
The three Republican lawmakers who signed the letter: Representatives Jay Obernolte of California, Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, and Don Bacon of Nebraska have joined their Democratic counterparts in urging the administration to revisit the steep H-1B visa fee.
They joined Democratic Representatives Sam Liccardo of California, Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, and Greg Stanton of Arizona in co-signing the letter, warning that the steep H-1B visa fee increase could erode America’s global competitiveness and make it harder for U.S. firms to attract top international talent.
READ: White House defends H-1B fee hike as ‘lawful,’ ‘necessary’ amid fraud concerns (
In their joint letter, the lawmakers cautioned that the new fee structure would place an undue financial strain on startups and small businesses, particularly those still in the early stages of growth or not yet turning a profit.
“Specifically, we have heard clearly from technology innovators that the proclamation’s $100,000 annual fee is prohibitively expensive for early-stage employers and small companies, particularly those that have not yet become profitable,” it said, as quoted by Mint.
“The recently announced H-1B visa changes will undermine the efforts of the very catalysts of our innovation economy – startups and small technology firms – that cannot absorb costs at the same level as larger firms,” the letter read.
“We agree that the H-1B visa program can be improved and that reform is needed to better align the system with America’s values and workforce needs,” the lawmakers further added. “At the same time, we are concerned that the recent proclamation related to H-1B visa petitions will create significant challenges for U.S. employers and overall weaken our competitiveness.”
READ: Major US firms pause H-1B hiring amid $100,000 visa fee policy (
The representatives further cautioned that restricting access to global talent could backfire, as skilled professionals might return to countries like India, China, Israel, or those in Europe to build innovative startups that could ultimately compete with American companies.
“It will bar those rapidly scaling American startups from recruiting and retaining critically needed talent, undermining their growth, reducing employment of US citizens by those same employers, and imperiling our nation’s technological leadership and global competitiveness.”
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that the $100,000 H-1B visa fee would not apply to individuals who first enter the country on a different visa category such as an F-1 visa for international students or an L-1 visa for intra-company transfers—and later transition to H-1B status from within the United States.