WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump on Friday signed a proclamation sharply curbing the entry of H-1B visa workers into the United States, while separately creating a new “Gold Card” program to expedite visas for wealthy foreign donors.
The order on H-1B visas requires companies to pay a $100,000 fee for each petition filed on behalf of a foreign worker currently outside the United States. Without that payment, the petitions will be denied. The restriction takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and will remain in place for 12 months unless extended. Case-by-case exemptions can be granted if deemed in the national interest.
Administration officials said the change is intended to combat widespread abuse of the program, which they say has allowed technology and outsourcing firms to displace U.S. workers with lower-paid foreign labor. Trump’s order also directs the Labor Department to revise prevailing wage levels for H-1B jobs and requires Homeland Security to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid applicants.
“The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security,” Trump wrote in the proclamation. He pointed to studies showing recent computer science and engineering graduates facing unemployment rates above 6 percent, while major firms approved for thousands of H-1B hires announced mass layoffs of U.S. employees.
The administration said the policy responds to reports of American IT workers being forced to train foreign replacements under nondisclosure agreements and of outsourcing firms under investigation for fraud and money laundering.
In a separate executive order, Trump launched the “Gold Card” visa program, which will expedite immigration for individuals contributing at least $1 million, or $2 million if donated by a corporation. The Commerce Department will manage the program, with funds deposited into the U.S. Treasury to promote American industry.
The White House said the new pathway aims to attract entrepreneurs and investors capable of “making significant contributions to the American economy.” Trump touted the initiative as part of a broader strategy to realign immigration policy around national benefit while reversing what he called “lax” policies of the Biden administration.
The dual actions underscore Trump’s approach to immigration in his second term: tightening entry for temporary foreign workers while opening a new channel for wealthy contributors. Both measures are expected to face criticism from labor advocates and immigrant rights groups, and could prompt legal challenges.
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