Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised the vital role immigrants play in driving America’s tech industry, calling their contributions “phenomenal.” His comments follow President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications—up sharply from the current fees of $2,000 to $5,000. Pichai, who came to the U.S. as an international student and later held an H-1B visa, acknowledged flaws in the visa system but emphasized the importance of attracting global talent.
The Trump administration’s policy created panic across Silicon Valley, prompting companies like Google, Microsoft, and Tesla to advise foreign workers against overseas travel. Google’s immigration team even issued urgent memos instructing employees abroad to return by a specific deadline or risk being blocked from re-entry. The tech community also saw protests, including unionized Google workers demanding the company speak out more forcefully in support of immigrants.
Though the White House later clarified the fee applies only to new applicants, the potential impact remains serious. Major tech firms such as Amazon and Apple, which sponsor large numbers of H-1B workers, could face challenges in hiring global talent. Critics argue the policy could drive innovation abroad, with investors and CEOs warning the change would make it harder to attract top engineers and developers.
While Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings supports the high fee for targeting top-tier roles, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed concern that the fee might be too high, deterring talent. The issue also disproportionately affects Indian professionals, who form the majority of H-1B holders. A proposed bill to end the H-1B program entirely has further raised alarms about the future of America’s tech leadership.
