Experts are warning that U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to raise the H-1B visa sponsorship fee to 100,000 U.S. dollars could severely damage America's creative industries and lead to a brain drain of international talent.
On Sept 19, President Trump signed a new rule requiring U.S. companies to pay the fee annually for each new H-1B visa applicant -- foreign workers sponsored to take on high-skilled jobs in the United States. Although the administration later clarified that the fee would only apply to new applicants, concerns are already mounting across educational and business sectors worldwide.
The H-1B visa is a U.S. non-immigrant visa that allows American companies to temporarily hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations. Trump said the dramatic fee hike is designed to favor hiring Americans.
Wang Jin, an associate professor at Northwest University in China, emphasized that visa policy is more than just economics.
"Visa (policy), for any country, is a very important tool to control, to select and to monitor what kind of people could enter their countries, and what kind of the foreign policies that are the principles that they would uphold in their foreign activities," said Wang.
Zhang Chengguo, founder of international education company Trochilus Edu, said the change could discourage international students from choosing the U.S. as their study destination.
"Many students study abroad to find employment. If they cannot obtain an H-1B visa smoothly, they will be reluctant to invest their educational funds in the U.S.," said Zhang.
Wang added that top tech innovations often start with people, not corporations.
"Big companies, for example, Apple or the other companies like Amazon, they actually not start from a very giant or very successful business men or successful scientists. They actually started from the very shining ideas. You have to encourage everybody join this camp. So that's why the visa (fee) will harm the interests, and actually will negatively influence the future for creativity. And this is also kind of a waste to the United States' human resources," the professor said.
As the U.S. tightens its borders, China is preparing to open its doors wider. A new visa category for young science and technology talents will go into effect on October 1. Wang noted a clear contrast in national strategies.
"I think China and the United States' visas or foreigner policies represent two mindsets. From the Chinese opinion, China encourages more foreigners to come to China. We need young people, we need young ideas. Compared with United States, they still maintain higher barrier for the foreigners, they have to maybe upgrade the standards for the people who want to stay inside the United States. And I think China represents the future," said Wang.
Experts warn Trump's H-1B fee could harm US talent pool
