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Skilled Workers Weigh Leaving U.S. Amid H-1B Crackdown

Source: nytimes.com

TL;DR

Trump administration changes to H-1B visas are prompting skilled foreign workers to consider leaving the U.S.
New rules include a $100,000 fee for applicants and a lottery favoring higher-wage jobs.
Workers face sponsorship hurdles amid tech layoffs, leading some to jobs abroad.

The story at a glance

A New York Times video profiles three skilled foreign workers struggling with Trump administration changes to the H-1B visa program, which lets U.S. companies hire professionals like software engineers for up to six years. The workers are Ananya Joshi from India, Haina from China, and Wen-Hsing Huang from Taiwan. This comes as recent policy shifts, including fees and wage-based lotteries, make sponsorship harder right after widespread tech layoffs. The program awards 85,000 visas yearly through a lottery.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/video/h-1b-visa-skilled-workers-trump.html)

Key points

In September 2025, the administration added a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applicants, creating confusion and deterring some companies from sponsoring.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/video/h-1b-visa-skilled-workers-trump.html)
Late February 2026 brought a weighted lottery using government wage data by job title and location, prioritizing applications for higher-paying roles to favor American workers.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/video/h-1b-visa-skilled-workers-trump.html)
Ananya Joshi, with a master's from Northwestern, sent 907 job applications but left for a biotech job in Germany after sponsorship fell through.
Haina, a marketing analyst laid off in New York, struggles to find sponsors; recruiters often end interviews early upon learning of her visa needs.
Wen-Hsing Huang, a Taiwanese engineer at Amazon in Seattle on H-1B with a six-figure salary, quit amid anxiety from policy shifts and layoffs, now starting an AI firm in Taiwan.

Details and context

The H-1B program has long been a clear path for foreign graduates of U.S. universities: study here, get recruited, win one of 85,000 lottery spots for specialty jobs in tech and medicine. But companies now face high fees and risks, so many reject candidates needing sponsorship outright, even qualified ones.

These three workers arrived around 2022 when sponsorship seemed routine. Tech layoffs since early 2026 worsened their odds, turning job hunts into "endless cycles of anxiety." Joshi warns to get sponsorship promises in writing; Haina urges checking company experience with international hires.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000010736378/h-1b-visa-program-trump-workers.html)

The changes aim to protect U.S. jobs by making H-1B riskier and costlier for employers, though talent shortages persist in fields like AI and software.

Key quotes

Wen-Hsing Huang: “I woke up every morning with this knot in my stomach, because my entire life depended on the policy I couldn’t control. The United States seems not very welcoming to immigrants that contribute to this country.”[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000010736378/h-1b-visa-program-trump-workers.html)
Ananya Joshi: “It’s an endless cycle of anxiety.”[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000010736378/h-1b-visa-program-trump-workers.html)

Why it matters

These shifts reshape the U.S. as a hub for global tech and biotech talent, potentially slowing innovation in key industries. For skilled immigrants, it means more rejections, constant stress, and pivots to Europe or home countries; companies face higher costs to hire abroad. Watch how the weighted lottery plays out in the next H-1B cycle and if tech firms push back or adapt.