Trump imposes a $100,000 fee per year for H-IB visas

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered an annual $100,000 fee be added to H-IB skilled worker visas, creating potentially major repercussions for the tech industry where such permits are prolific.

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The new measure, which could likely face legal challenges, was announced alongside the introduction of a $1 million "gold card" residency programme that Trump had previewed months earlier.

"The main thing is, we're going to have great people coming in, and they're going to be paying," Trump told reporters as he signed the orders in the Oval Office.

If the moves survive legal muster, they will deliver staggering price increases. The visa fee for skilled workers would jump from $215.

According to Trump's order, the fee will be required for those seeking to enter the country beginning Sunday, with the Homeland Security secretary able to exempt individuals, entire companies, or entire industries.