Richmond, Virginia—The job market across the United States is worsening, unemployment is at its highest since 2021, and the economic forecast suggests that Virginia will lose jobs this year and have virtually no job growth in 2026. This week, the Trump administration shook things up on the already weakening economy: with just one day’s notice between announcement and implementation, the federal government has raised the cost of H1-B (skilled worker) visas from $215 to $100,000. This is projected to primarily impact small businesses and startups in the short term, but the sharp rise in cost and lack of clarity on whether the fee will be annual or one-time is causing massive confusion across the tech sector and within universities. At least 60% of H1-B visa holders work in tech, but hospitals, banks, universities, and other employers also make use of the program. Amazon, headquartered in Virginia, has the largest number of H1-B visa holders in the nation; Virginia businesses Capital One and CGI also rely heavily on the program.
“This is another example of the administration privileging billionaires at the expense of working people across Virginia and the rest of the country, despite the chaos that it causes and the lives it disrupts,” said Ashleigh Crocker, Interim Executive Director at Progress Virginia. “H1-B visa holders are doctors, scientists, and engineers. They are propping up our rural hospitals and helping us solve complex problems across the Commonwealth. It is unconscionable that the federal government would deny us the benefit of the new skills and new ideas talented immigrants bring to this country. They are making it harder for Virginia employers to hire, for Virginia medical schools to retain teachers, and for Virginia to continue to be a leader in technology, and they’re doing it to line their own pockets and fund the abduction of our neighbors.“
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