Over the weekend, Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings backed Donald Trump's controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee, calling it a "great solution" to fix the program's lottery system.
Hastings Supports Trump's H-1B Overhaul
On Friday, the Trump administration announced that companies would be required to pay $100,000 for each H-1B visa application, a sharp increase from the current fees, which could reshape tech hiring and immigration policy.
Following this, Hastings said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, "I've worked on H1-B politics for 30 years. Trump's $100k per year tax is a great solution. It will mean H1-B is used just for very high value jobs, which will mean no lottery needed, and more certainty for those jobs."
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Andrew Ng Pushes Back
Not all tech leaders shared Hastings' optimism. Andrew Ng, co-founder of Google Brain and a leading voice in artificial intelligence education, criticized the move for creating fear among skilled immigrants.
"My heart goes out to all the families and individuals anxious over their futures following the abrupt and chaotic announcement of H-1B visa changes," Ng said. "America should be working to attract more skilled talent, not create uncertainty that turns them away."
Ng stated that policies that discourage immigration could weaken America's competitiveness in fields like artificial intelligence.
White House Clarifies Fee Structure
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday the $100,000 charge is a one-time filing fee for new petitions, not an annual recurring cost. Existing H-1B holders and renewals will not be subject to the new levy.
This statement came after major employers such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)—companies that collectively secure tens of thousands of H-1B visas annually—rushed to advise employees to cancel overseas travel in response to the uncertainty.
Analyst Jeremy Goldman has warned the policy could harm innovation saying that the U.S. "risks taxing away its innovation edge, trading dynamism for short-sighted protectionism."
The Trump administration has also announced a $1 million "gold card" residency program for wealthy investors, adding another layer of complexity to America's immigration system.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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