Microsoft, JP Morgan ask H-1B holders to stay in US as Trump imposes hefty visa fee

Microsoft has asked H-1B and H-4 visa holders to remain in the US for the near future in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose $100,000 fee on H-1B and H-4 visas. The tech giant has also strongly urged employees holding these visas who are currently outside the US to return to the country by Sunday, ahead of the approaching deadline.

“We strongly recommend H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US tomorrow before the deadline,” stated Microsoft in an internal email to the employees accessed by Reuters.

‘Stay in US’, says JP Morgan

The report further stated that JP Morgan’s outside immigration counsel has advised H-1B visa holders to stay in the US and avoid international travel until further guidance.

The development comes a day after Trump’s proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, which will come into force on September 21 and will remain in effect for 12 months.

Also Read: Trump slaps $100,000 on H1-B visa fee; big blow to Indian workers

H-1B visa exploited, says Trump

Trump stated that although the H-1B non-immigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers into the US to perform high-skilled functions, it has been exploited to replace American workers with lower-paid and lower-skilled labour.

“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour,” Trump said in the proclamation.

Trump further stated that the deliberate exploitation of the H-1B visa programme was a national security threat. “The abuse of the H-1B programme is also a national security threat. Domestic law enforcement agencies have identified and investigated H-1B-reliant outsourcing companies for engaging in visa fraud, conspiracy to launder money... and other illicit activities to encourage foreign workers to come to the United States,” added Trump.

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Trump justifies move

Trump said that it is necessary to impose higher costs on companies seeking to use the H-1B programme in order to address the abuse of that programme while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers.

“The severe harms that the large-scale abuse of this programme has inflicted on our economic and national security demand an immediate response. I therefore find that the unrestricted entry into the United States of certain foreign workers” would be detrimental to the interests of the United States because such entry would harm American workers, including by undercutting their wages,” the proclamation said.

(With agency inputs)