President Trump Signs Executive Order on New Visa Program. UPI=Yonhap News.  

A decision by the Donald Trump administration to increase fees for the H-1B visa, which allows professionals to work in the United States, by 100 times is expected to significantly impact American companies and benefit other countries.

On the 20th (local time), the Financial Times (FT) and The New York Times (NYT) examined the chaos caused by the substantial increase in professional visa fees, presenting the opinions of several experts who believe this measure could negatively affect the U.S. economy and benefit countries including Canada.

Adam Kovacevich, president of the "Chamber of Progress," a coalition of technology companies, told the NYT that this measure will force companies to completely re-evaluate their approach to the H-1B visa program, and expressed concern that this change will impact the competitiveness of the United States in the artificial intelligence (AI) field.

He added, "This is like fighting the AI war with China with one hand tied behind our back," pointing out that "the top talent in AI is limited, and some of them are foreign-born."

Concerns have also been raised about the potential creation of an unfair ecosystem among U.S. tech companies.

The venture capital industry is concerned that, similar to tariff issues, only large corporations like Apple and Nvidia will be able to afford the visa fees or receive exemptions, the NYT reported.

Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, commented on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that "This decision is a gut punch to startups," and stated it will be a big gift to all overseas tech hubs, including Vancouver and Toronto in Canada.

He further added, "In the midst of the AI race, we are telling our developers to go develop elsewhere."

Opinions also emerged that this measure could present an opportunity for other countries.

Alex Tapscott, Managing Director at Ninepoint Partners, a Canadian investment firm, emphasized that Canada could become a preferred destination for global talent due to this visa fee increase, stating, "What is America's loss could be Canada's gain."

There were also those who welcomed the measure.

Materials introducing the 'Trump Gold Card' displayed in the Oval Office at the White House in the United States on September 19, 2025. Yonhap News. 

Laura Reis, Director of the Center for Border Security and Immigration at the Heritage Foundation, a U.S. think tank, told the NYT that the $100,000 visa fee is a "good start" to reforming the H-1B visa program, adding, "Too many employers game this system, and Americans are not getting a fair shot."

Meanwhile, U.S. companies that employ a large number of foreign workers have instructed their H-1B visa-holding employees abroad to return to the U.S. urgently due to this visa fee increase measure, forcing workers to rush back to the United States.

Reuters reported on the 21st, likening their situation to the famous movie 'Fast and Furious.'

Several Indian nationals at San Francisco Airport in the U.S. shortened their vacation plans, stating they might not be able to return to the U.S. if the new regulations were enforced.

According to anonymous sources, one flight was delayed for over three hours because Indian passengers who had received orders or memos related to this measure from their employers decided to disembark the plane they were already on.

Chinese social media also shared experiences of H-1B visa holders rushing back to the U.S. immediately after arriving in China or other countries.

Some of these workers even compared their current experiences to their hurried returns to the U.S. before travel bans were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported.

One woman shared online that she was on a flight from New York to Paris when she received a call from her company's lawyer instructing her to return to the United States.

It is understood that the plane was taxiing for takeoff at the time. This woman, who managed to disembark the flight, expressed, "I feel a mix of disappointment, sadness, and frustration."

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