Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee drew major backlash. Silicon Valley leaders see silver linings.

"Major Silicon Valley leaders shrugged their shoulders when they were slapped with a new $100,000 fee for new H-1B hires. While much of the tech world was confused and outraged at President Donald Trump's late-Friday visa overhaul, Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings said the policy would create "more certainty" for high-value jobs. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC, "I'm glad to see President Trump making the moves he's making." And OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was similarly optimistic, saying that "streamlining" the process of getting the smartest people into the US and "aligning financial incentives seems good to me.""

"American companies hire up to 85,000 international workers on the H-1B visa each year, so why would they welcome a new policy that could cost billions? Of course, Big Tech companies have big pockets and can take the hit better than smaller companies and industries like healthcare. Some startups are freezing hiring as they brace for more changes. Supporters of the policy also lauded the simplification of a complicated visa system - it's now more of a simple pay-and-receive transaction. Here's the case Big Tech leaders and others within the startup landscape are making for the changes."

President Donald Trump appended a $100,000 fee to new H-1B applications to encourage domestic hiring and prevent alleged program "abuses." Major Silicon Valley leaders reacted with support or indifference: Reed Hastings said the change would create "more certainty" for high-value jobs, Jensen Huang expressed approval, and Sam Altman praised "streamlining" and "aligning financial incentives." U.S. companies hire up to 85,000 H-1B workers annually. Big Tech firms can better absorb the added cost, while smaller companies, healthcare providers, and startups face heavier burdens, with some freezing hiring. Supporters framed the change as a simplification into a pay-and-receive transaction.

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