The Donald Trump administration’s determination to boost the H-1B visa software price to an unprecedented $100,000 has triggered swift reactions throughout the expertise sector. Whereas many corporations expressed concern concerning the seismic impression on world hiring and expertise flows, two of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, struck a surprisingly supportive tone. In a joint interview, Huang emphasised that immigration is important for America’s modern future, whereas Altman welcomed the transfer as a step towards attracting the world’s brightest minds. Their remarks spotlight a nuanced cut up within the tech trade’s response to the controversial coverage shift.
What did Jensen Huang and Sam Altman say on the H-1B visa price hike
Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO) Huang burdened that immigration stays central to each US prosperity and his firm’s progress. “We wish all of the brightest minds to come back to the US and keep in mind immigration is the inspiration of the American Dream,” he stated. Talking alongside Altman, Huang additionally introduced Nvidia’s $100 billion funding in OpenAI’s AI information heart tasks, underscoring the function of worldwide expertise in scaling innovation.Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO)Altman described the price hike as a constructive coverage shift, remarking, “We have to appeal to probably the most clever people to the nation, and simplifying that course of together with establishing monetary incentives appears useful to me.” He instructed the transfer may streamline immigration whereas reinforcing incentives for top-tier expertise.The White Home confirmed that the $100,000 price applies solely to new H-1B purposes, not renewals or reentry for current visa holders. Employers should present proof of cost earlier than submitting, and candidates face a 12-month restriction on petitions till charges are cleared. The administration framed the coverage as a approach to make sure that corporations rent solely extremely expert, irreplaceable staff reasonably than counting on overseas labor for roles that could possibly be crammed domestically.
Tech trade and Indian response to H-1B price hike
The coverage poses important challenges for India and China, which collectively accounted for over 80% of H-1B visas final yr. Indian IT giants now face lots of of thousands and thousands in extra prices, elevating considerations over lowered working earnings and uncertainty for 1000’s of tech professionals. Analysts warn the hike may gas a “reverse mind drain,” with expert expertise opting to remain in or return to India, boosting native hiring and innovation ecosystems. In the meantime, NASSCOM and the Indian authorities voiced financial and humanitarian considerations however signaled a willingness to take care of dialogue with Washington.The announcement sparked pressing strategic shifts. Corporations like JPMorgan reportedly suggested H-1B workers to keep away from worldwide journey till the brand new guidelines took impact. Regardless of broader trade alarm, Huang and Altman’s endorsement illustrates how some leaders view the price hike as a chance to boost the bar for US immigration, channeling solely probably the most distinctive world expertise into essential sectors like AI and superior computing.
