Overview

• The White House enacted a $100,000 charge on H‑1B work visas, which Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described as payable each year, though agencies are still ironing out implementation details.
• Internal messages reported by Reuters and Business Insider show Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and JPMorgan urging H‑1B employees to remain in or quickly return to the U.S., with some recalls tied to the rule taking effect this weekend.
• Trump also signed a proclamation for a 'Gold Card' offering residency for $1 million for individuals or $2 million via employer sponsorship, with about 80,000 initial cards and rights resembling a Green Card that could lead to citizenship.
• Briefing materials contain inconsistencies on whether the H‑1B payment is an annual charge or an application fee, and legal durability is uncertain as the order repurposes existing immigration categories.
• Officials say national‑interest exemptions are possible; the policy would touch tens of thousands of workers as government data show Amazon topped 10,000 H‑1B approvals in early 2025 and Microsoft and Meta each exceeded 5,000.