**H-1B Visa Fee Hike: Beneficiaries Like Musk, Nadella, Pichai Remain Silent**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 21, 2025, 6:25 PM*
Silicon Valley’s tech giants, including Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, have so far remained silent in response to the newly announced $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions. This fee hike was announced last Saturday by the Donald Trump administration, surprising many given Musk’s previous strong opposition to changes in the H-1B visa system.
**Musk’s Previous Stance on H-1B Visa Changes**
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, had been vocal about his concerns over proposed changes to the H-1B visa policies. In a post on X last December, he highlighted that many critical employees who helped build SpaceX, Tesla, and other successful companies in the U.S. are beneficiaries of the H-1B visa program. At that time, Musk even warned he might “go to war” to protect the system.
**Details of the New Rules and Their Impact**
The new regulations, signed by President Trump, impose a hefty $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions. The administration claims this move aims to ensure only “extraordinarily skilled” individuals enter the country, and to prevent companies from replacing American workers with foreign professionals.
Notably, this fee hike largely impacts Indian tech professionals, as approximately 71% of current H-1B visa holders are from India.
**Clarifications on the New Fee**
The administration has clarified that the $100,000 fee applies only to new visa petitions and does not affect existing visa holders who are re-entering the United States.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized on X that “this is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.” Here, a petition refers to a company’s formal request to bring a skilled worker from abroad into the U.S.
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This development marks a significant shift in the H-1B visa framework, with potential wide-reaching consequences for the tech industry and foreign professionals alike. The silence from high-profile beneficiaries raises questions about the industry’s next steps amid these new challenges.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/h-1b-visa-s-100-000-fee-what-are-silicon-valley-ceos-saying/story
