United States President Donald Trump has signed a wide-ranging executive order clarifying that the new $100,000 H-1B fee applies only to new entrants, leaving current workers, including African professionals already in the U.S., unaffected.
- This measure, effective September 21, 2025, aims to prioritize hiring American workers over foreign talent.
- The directive heavily impacts the H-1B program, typically used by skilled professionals in tech industries.
- The African tech sector might see retained local talent and growth in remote work opportunities as a reaction.
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on companies applying for H-1B visas.
The measure, scheduled to take effect on 21 September 2025, is expected to significantly alter recruitment practices across the technology and business sectors.
“Companies need to decide: is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or should they head home and go hire an American?” US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. “All of the big companies are on board.”
The H-1B visa programme, capped at 85,000 visas annually, has long served as a crucial entry point for highly skilled professionals, particularly in engineering, software development, and data science. Until now, associated employer fees stood at approximately $1,500.
The September 19, 2025 White House proclamation — “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” — has added to the controversy. The directive has caused confusion, but its provisions are precise:
- The new $100,000 fee only applies to H-1B workers outside the United States who are seeking entry.
- The proclamation restricts entry of such H-1B workers unless their employer pays the fee with the petition.
- It does not impose the fee on extensions, amendments, or transfers for H-1B holders who are already inside the United States.
Corporate Response
Technology firms have responded swiftly. Internal communications from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta have urged affected employees to take immediate action. In a memo to its staff, Microsoft advised:
“If you are on H-1B status and are currently outside the U.S., we strongly recommend that you return to the U.S. tomorrow before the deadline. If you are currently on business travel, call the emergency telephone number listed on your BCD Travel itinerary immediately to book travel back to the U.S.”
Implications for African Professionals
The new H-1B directive has raised concerns across Africa’s technology sector, which has seen growing numbers of skilled workers use the programme to pursue careers in the United States. While Indian and Chinese applicants dominate roughly 84 percent of H-1B visas, Africans from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana hold about 1 to 2 percent and face amplified barriers due to already high denial rates in U.S. visa systems.
Analysts warn that the policy could disrupt career pipelines, prompt calls for stronger African economies to retain talent, and reflect broader anti-immigrant sentiment.
A Substack analysis by diaspora journalist warned: “New H-1B rules risk cutting off Africa’s STEM pipeline. Universities risk losing STEM minds while hospitals may be spared.” according to the user, Healthcare roles might receive waivers, but education and technology fields critical for African professionals face cuts, potentially reducing remittances and skills transfer back home.
Smaller firms and startups, both in the United States and abroad, are expected to be disproportionately affected, as many cannot absorb the steep new costs despite reliance on specialised foreign talent.
However, experts suggest the measure could accelerate alternative opportunities. One analyst told Business Insider Africa that the directive may lead to “a surge in remote job opportunities for Africans, similar to the wave witnessed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global firms turned to remote hiring to fill critical skills gaps without physical relocation.”
Additional Measures and Broader Context
The executive order further introduces a “gold card” immigration system, granting expedited residency to wealthy individuals willing to pay fees starting at £1 million. This follows earlier measures, including a June travel ban affecting 12 countries and a pilot programme requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for certain tourist and business visas.
For Africa, the policy may accelerate a redirection of skilled migration flows toward more accessible destinations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, which are actively courting global talent. At the same time, African technology hubs in Lagos, Nairobi, and Cape Town may stand to benefit from retaining skilled workers who might otherwise have sought opportunities in the United States.
Olamilekan Okebiorun
