Thousands of British technicians face soaring fees after Donald Trump confirmed plans to impose a $100,000 (£74,000) fee on U.S. expert visas.
The dramatic increase applies to the H-1B visa, which technology companies widely use to hire foreign workers. Last year, 1,462 British people received H-1B visas – more than any other European country – and 985 visas have been approved in the current fiscal year.
The Trump administration said the measure was intended to encourage companies to recruit American workers. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initially announced a $100,000 fee a year, including in renewal, but the White House later clarified that it would be a one-time fee when the visa was first obtained.
The move has aroused strong opposition from Silicon Valley, with companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google saying that H-1B visas are crucial to attracting top talent amid fierce competition in fields such as artificial intelligence. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims that he and many of his colleagues are in the United States only due to the visa system and promise to “start a war” on the issue if necessary.
Economists warn that the change will hurt U.S. growth by limiting the opportunities of skilled foreign workers. “By making companies attract foreign talent and forcing some international students to leave the country after graduation, brain loss will seriously affect productivity,” said Atakan Bakiskan of Berenberg.
Impacts may bring opportunities to the UK. Dom Hallas of the Startup Alliance urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to expand the UK’s global talent visa and reform the sharing of rewards tax rules, believing that the country can position itself as a “destination for international tech workers.”
Sir Keir Starmer is already exploring measures to attract top scientists, software developers and scholars, and officials have looked at advice on providing visa fees to leading professionals entirely. A senior figure described the current system as a “bureaucratic nightmare” and sources said Trump’s crackdown had given Britain’s own plans “the wind of sails.”
The Prime Minister’s Global Talent Working Group, led by Business Advisor Varun Chandra and Science Minister Vallance, is reviewing proposals ahead of the November budget. Previous attempts to attract elite talent have achieved limited success, but Labor has had the opportunity to capitalize on Trump’s hardline stance.
So far, India remains the largest source of H-1B visa holders, followed by China and Brazil. The UK ranks ninth on the list, but the dramatic increase in costs can eliminate many skilled workers who have previously tried to live and work in the United States.
