Trump’s H-1B Fee Hike Hits African Professionals

President Donald Trump has rolled out sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, sharply raising the cost of hiring foreign workers under the H-1B visa programme and unveiling a costly new “Gold Card” residency scheme.

Starting September 21, 2025, U.S. employers will pay $100,000 annually for each H-1B worker on their staff, for a maximum of six years.

The new policy replaces the previous fee of about $1,500, a change analysts warn will hit African professionals the hardest.

The administration also introduced the “Gold Card” visa, which offers wealthy individuals and foreign investors a fast-track to U.S. residency — at a minimum entry fee of $1.3 million.

For years, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa have supplied a steady flow of highly skilled professionals to the U.S. in technology, medicine and academia.

But experts say the new policy risks pricing out young Africans who rely on U.S. employers for sponsorship.

“This is a huge blow to Africans who see the H-1B as a pathway to opportunity,” said Dr. Chinyere Obinna, a migration analyst in Lagos.

“The increase favours the wealthy, while hardworking professionals may be left behind.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the decision, stressing that it prioritises American workers.

“The company needs to decide… is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American,” he told reporters.

While some U.S. labour advocates applauded the hike, critics warn it could weaken America’s competitiveness and drive talent to countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia, which are increasingly attracting African professionals.

For many in Nigeria’s tech community, the news was met with frustration. “We are competing globally, but barriers like this make the U.S. less appealing,” said a Lagos-based software engineer awaiting visa approval.