How H-1B visa fee hikes impact US innovation and competitiveness

"Our politicians are thinking about challenges such as immigration as single-point issues, rather than using systems thinking to understand how each piece and potential solution impacts other parts of the whole." -Ashish Kaushal In our latest Substack article, "The $100,000 H-1B Visa Fees: What’s The Real Story?" our founder, Ashish Kaushal, peels back the layers on proposed steep H‑1B visa fee hikes, analyzes their economic implications, and suggests alternative paths forward. 🔍 Key Takeaways: 💵 Fee Hikes Aren’t Just Numbers on Paper Proposals pushing H‑1B visa fees toward $100,000 would fundamentally alter how U.S. companies recruit global talent. These numbers aren’t symbolic — they reshape who can compete and who is shut out. 🏢 Impact on Innovation and Competitiveness Higher costs would disproportionately hurt startups and smaller firms, often the most dynamic engines of growth and disruption. Without access to diverse global talent, innovation suffers. 🌎 Unintended Consequences for U.S. Leadership If the U.S. prices out skilled immigrants, competitors like India, Canada, and Europe stand to benefit. This is more than immigration — it's about who leads in the next wave of technology and entrepreneurship. ➡️ Want to dive deeper? Read the full article on our Substack 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eCXzXmCW 🔔 Subscribe to our Substack for more content like this:https://lnkd.in/g4AFwCRC #H1B #Immigration #TechPolicy #Innovation hashtag #TalentStrategy #EconomicGrowth #USCompetitiveness #GlobalTalent #PolicyReform

The Business Investor Visa (“BIV”) will open late in November. Applicants must front up with $1 million or $2 million to buy, or buy into, an existing NZ business. It’s not really an investor offering. It requires applicants to buy a share of a New Zealand business and be actively involved in running it. Simon Laurent’s latest blog examines the ins and outs of this new visa offering. https://lnkd.in/gmbU2D-E

The Business Investor Visa (“BIV”) will open late in November. Applicants must front up with $1 million or $2 million to buy, or buy into, an existing NZ business. It’s not really an investor offering. It requires applicants to buy a share of a New Zealand business and be actively involved in running it. Simon Laurent’s latest blog examines the ins and outs of this new visa offering. https://lnkd.in/gEUiYJW7

US to Cut EB-5 Visa Fees for Foreign Investors by 17%, Introduces New Technology Charge #technology Source: https://ift.tt/Vwsxq1R I am pleased to share an insightful update on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to introduce significant changes aimed at reducing filing fees for foreign investors by approximately 17%. Along with these reductions, a new technology fee of $95 will also be implemented. These proposed changes include a 14% decrease in petition fees for Forms I-526 and I-526E, and a 17% reduction for Form I-829, offering a more streamlined application process for potential investors. The EB-5 program, which allocates 10,000 visas annually to foreign nationals and their families, requires a substantial investment in U.S. enterprises that create jobs, making this update particularly impactful for those considering this path to permanent residency. For a detailed overview of the proposed fee adjustments and the implications for investors, I invite you to read the full blog post here: [US to Cut EB-5 Visa Fees for Foreign Investors by 17%, Introduces New Technology Charge](https://ift.tt/Vwsxq1R). #rswebsols #EB5Visa #ImmigrationNews #ForeignInvestment #GreenCard #VisaFees

A cocktail of regulatory uncertainty, steep new fees and immigration anxieties has spooked H-1B visa holders and made them reluctant to switch from big tech firms to smaller, riskier ventures, multiple founders told ET. They said the second order effects of the new H1-B regulations are starting to show even in lateral hires — a segment relatively less affected by policy flux. #H1BVisa #USImmigration #TechTalent #StartupEcosystem https://lnkd.in/gSaJ98xP

November 2025 EB-5 Visa Bulletin: Strategic Opportunities for Immigrant Investors The U.S. State Department's November 2025 Visa Bulletin reveals compelling developments for employment-based fifth preference investors: 📊 KEY HIGHLIGHTS: >All three set-aside categories remain CURRENT across all countries >Rural investments: Priority processing (~5 months I-526E) >Investment threshold: $800,000 for TEA projects >FY2026 allocation provides fresh visa numbers 🌍 COUNTRY-SPECIFIC STATUS: >China unreserved: December 8, 2015 (retrogressed) >India unreserved: February 1, 2021 (stable) >All other countries: CURRENT 💡 STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE: The combination of current visa availability, accelerated processing for rural projects, and reduced capital requirements ($800K vs. $1.05M) creates optimal conditions for investors prioritizing timeline certainty. Set-aside categories (rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure) now offer the clearest path to permanent residency through investment. At Paperfree, we connect qualified investors with vetted EB-5 opportunities aligned with their immigration goals and risk parameters. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ddV4wqpa #EB5Visa #ImmigrationLaw #InvestorVisa #USImmigration #VisaBulletin #EmploymentBasedImmigration #RuralInvestment #TEAInvestment #GreenCard #ImmigrantInvestor

Thinking about applying for the E-2 Visa to invest and live in the U.S.? A strong, well-prepared strategy can make all the difference. https://lnkd.in/eTj_RTrr are expert tips to help boost your approval chances: Show a substantial investment: Demonstrate that your funds are genuinely committed and at risk. Develop a detailed business plan: Include realistic 5-year projections, operational details, and job creation plans. Document your investment clearly: Provide full transparency about the source and trail of your funds. Highlight U.S. economic benefits: Show how your business will create jobs and contribute to growth beyond just supporting you. Work with experienced legal counsel: An immigration expert can help ensure your application is consistent, complete, and persuasive. A well-prepared E-2 application doesn’t just meet the requirements—it tells a compelling story of your investment and vision. #E2Visa #InvestorVisa #USImmigration #BusinessImmigration #VisaSuccess #GlobalImmigrationPartners

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several conversations with founders, investors, and policymakers about the recent H-1B changes and what they mean for innovation in America. At Unshackled Ventures, this topic is foundational to who we are. In 2016, we published Keeping America Strong: Support an Economy That Creates Jobs, Not Loopholes, calling for immigration policies that reward innovation and job creation, not labor arbitrage. At the time, 13 of the top 15 H-1B petitioners were outsourcing firms — a system that favored volume over value. Since then, progress has been made: higher prevailing wages, limits on mass filings, and pathways for H-1B founders to work for their own startups. The latest policy changes continue that effort by tightening definitions and introducing wage-based prioritization. These are steps toward closing loopholes that turned immigration into an employment commodity. But a $100,000 filing fee risks tilting the system back toward large employers, leaving early-stage startups and first-time founders behind. If we want to protect integrity and expand opportunity, we need scaled fees, broader access to O-1 visas, and extended OPT timelines. Otherwise, we’ll educate the world’s best minds here, only to watch them build elsewhere. This isn’t just an immigration issue — it’s an economic one. When incumbents automate or consolidate, job creation must come from new companies and new industries. Immigrant founders have always been catalysts for that renewal. As Jensen Huang of NVIDIA wrote, “Immigration is at the heart of the American dream… H-1B visas provide a vital pathway for exceptional talent to contribute to America’s growth and innovation.” That balance — integrity without rigidity, ambition without abuse — is what we’ve advocated since day one. I’d welcome your thoughts and reactions: How should the U.S. evolve its approach to immigration so we continue to lead in innovation?

🚨 November Visa Bulletin Reaction | Chatting with Charlie Charles Oppenheim and Charina Garcia react to the release of the November Visa Bulletin. Despite the ongoing government shutdown, they explain why visa processing and bulletin releases continue as usual. Charina and Charlie review modest movement in the family-based categories, noting small advances in F2B for China and India and slight progress for Mexico. On the employment-based side, all categories remain steady, with larger shifts expected on a quarterly basis as demand stabilizes. Charlie and the team provide HR and global mobility professionals with insights into what the bulletin means for their corporate immigration programs. You can also watch the reaction here: 🎧 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eK-eAEQF 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eaS6Dmwq #immigrationlaw #visa #globalmobility #immigration #VisaBulletin #USImmigrationUpdates #GreenCardNews #ImmigrationDates #USCISUpdates #ImmigrationTimeline #VisaPriorityDates #ImmigrationBulletin #USVisaInfo #StateDepartmentUpdates