For America’s global competitors, President Donald Trump’s new $100,000 H-1B visa fee is like hitting the jackpot. The policy is being seen internationally as a monumental gift, a winning ticket that will allow other nations to attract the world-class talent they need to build their own powerful tech sectors.
Countries from Canada to China are ready to cash in. They can now approach the world’s top engineers and scientists with an unbeatable offer: join us and become part of a growing innovation ecosystem, without the massive financial barrier your employer would face in the United States. It’s a recruitment pitch that writes itself.
This could be the move that finally breaks Silicon Valley’s hold on the global tech industry. For decades, it has been the undisputed champion. But by voluntarily taking itself out of the running for much of the world’s top talent, the U.S. is opening the door for new champions to emerge elsewhere.
The “Hire Americans” rationale is viewed abroad as a dangerously insular policy that misunderstands the nature of modern wealth creation. A country’s strength is now measured by its ability to act as a global hub for talent, not by its ability to wall itself off from the world.
In essence, the Trump administration has dealt a winning hand to every nation looking to challenge U.S. economic leadership. The H-1B fee weakens American companies, strengthens their foreign rivals, and accelerates the shift of economic power away from the United States.