**H-1B Visa Fee Hike: Beneficiaries Like Musk, Nadella, Pichai Remain Silent**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 21, 2025, 06:25 PM*
Silicon Valley’s tech giants, including Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, and Satya Nadella, have remained notably silent following the announcement of a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions. The fee hike was introduced by the Trump administration last Saturday, sparking surprise given that some of these leaders, notably Musk, have previously expressed 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, has been vocal about the importance of the H-1B visa program. In December, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight that many critical contributors to his companies are beneficiaries of the H-1B visa. He went as far as threatening to “go to war” if the system was altered in a way that could harm these professionals.
**Details of the New Rule**
The recent regulation, signed by President Trump, imposes a hefty $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions. According to the administration, the goal is to ensure that only “extraordinarily skilled” individuals enter the U.S. workforce, preventing companies from using foreign professionals to replace American workers.
This fee hike predominantly affects Indian professionals, who make up approximately 71% of all H-1B visa holders.
**Clarifications on the Fee**
The administration clarified that this new rule only applies to *new* visa petitions and does not impact existing H-1B visa holders who are re-entering the country. Karoline Leavitt, White House spokesperson, explained on X that “this is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.”
A petition refers to a company’s request to bring a skilled foreign worker to the U.S. workforce.
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The response—or lack thereof—by influential tech leaders continues to draw attention as the industry assesses the impact of this significant policy change on talent acquisition and innovation.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/h-1b-visa-s-100-000-fee-what-are-silicon-valley-ceos-saying/story