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U.S. increases H-1B visa sponsorship cost for foreign workers, including Nigerians
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Introduces “gold card” visa offering expedited permanent residency for $1–2 million
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Move targets companies accused of importing cheap foreign labour over U.S. graduates
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order raising the H-1B visa sponsorship fee from $5,000 to $100,000 per year for American companies hiring employees from Nigeria and other countries.
Trump announced the measure at the White House on Friday, alongside a new “gold card” visa allowing individuals and corporations to pay between $1 million and $2 million for expedited permanent U.S. residency.
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“The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump said, emphasising contributions to the United States as proof of exceptional value.
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The H-1B visa, previously costing $5,000–$6,000 annually depending on the industry, allows skilled foreign workers to work in the U.S. for an initial renewable three-year period and provides a path to permanent residency.
The fee hike is part of a crackdown on the program amid claims that companies exploited it to hire cheap foreign labour at the expense of U.S. citizens. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the decision, saying:
“If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs.”
