President Donald Trump speaks on September 19, 2025, as he sits next to a “Trump Gold Card” sign in the oval office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA.
Kencedeno | Reuters
Major technology companies and foreign governments are rushing to respond after President Donald Trump announced plans to charge $100,000 annual fees on H-1B visas late Friday, threatening to overturn programs that support the US tech workforce.
The Trump administration said fees apply per worker per year, which could hit businesses primarily in the technology and financial sector.
The announcement sent shockwaves through corporate America. Amazon’s immigration team advised H-1B and H-4 visa holders to stay in the US and to return people from abroad before 12:01am on September 21, according to an internal message viewed by CNBC.
JPMorgan Chase’s law firm has sent a note asking H-1B Visa owners to stay in the US and avoid international travel until further guidance, according to anyone familiar with the matter.
According to an email seen by Reuters, Microsoft also reportedly advised H-1B Visa owners to stay in the US and warn people abroad that they could endanger the immigration situation.
The move represents the administration’s most aggressive move to limit legal immigration. Since taking office in January, Trump has been cracking down on both illegal and legal entry into the United States, but Friday’s announcement marks the most important attempt to close employment visas.
Amazon has hired the most H-1B holders. This was over 14,000 at the end of June. Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google each featured over 4,000 of the top 10 winners of 2025.
CNBC contacts all public companies on the Top 10 H-1B recipient list for comments. The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
“Humanitarian consequences”
The announcement also disrupted the current situation overseas. There, foreign governments scrambled to assess the impact of the new rules on their countries.
India’s Foreign Ministry said it is studying the restrictions on visas and their implications, highlighting that both Indian and US industries share an interest in maintaining competitiveness in innovation. He also highlighted the possibility of confusion for individual families.
“This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences from the disruption caused by families. The government hopes that these disruptions can be properly addressed by US authorities,” India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry also said it is assessing the impact on Korean companies and skilled workers.
Below is a searchable list of the top 100 US companies that were H1-B recipients in 2025.
– CNBC’s Annie Palmer contributed to this report.
