Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has reassured foreign workers that the chip maker will continue to sponsor H-1B visas for them, despite the Trump administration's new $100,000 fee. This significant fee was announced by US President Donald Trump last month, stating that all new H-1B applications to the country would now incur this cost. Notably, these fees are paid by the sponsoring companies, and the policy was widely viewed as an effort to compel American companies to prioritize hiring local talent over scouting abroad.

Huang's message to employees was initially reported by Business Insider on October 7, with Reuters later noting that a representative for Nvidia declined to comment on the matter. Addressing his staff, Huang, who is himself an immigrant to the United States, underscored the critical role of foreign talent in the company's achievements. In an internal memo, Business Insider quoted Jensen Huang as stating: “As one of many immigrants at Nvidia, I know that the opportunities we've found in America have profoundly shaped our lives.” He further added that “the miracle of Nvidia — built by all of you, and by brilliant colleagues around the world — would not be possible without immigration.”

Emphasizing the broader impact, Huang conveyed his belief that “legal immigration remains essential to ensuring the US continues to lead in technology and ideas,” and noted that the Trump administration's “recent changes reaffirm this.” President Donald Trump's immigration policies, including this hike in H-1B visa fees, were enacted via an executive order signed in September. This order mandates an additional $100,000 payment by employers sponsoring new H-1B recipients before they are permitted to enter the US. However, the administration clarified that this order does not apply to individuals who already hold H-1B visas or those who submitted their applications before September 21. Data from USCIS, cited in the report, consistently shows California, home to numerous Silicon Valley tech giants, as one of the top-ranked regions in the US for annual H-1B visa applications since 2018. (With inputs from Reuters)