The Trump administration has introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applicants. The government says the move is meant to reduce the number of foreign tech workers entering the US Critics argue that the policy does not tackle the main issue: the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT allows international students to work in the US after graduation. Many see this as the larger factor affecting competition for tech jobs. Under the new rules, anyone applying for an H-1B visa from outside the US must pay $100,000 annually. Current H-1B holders are not affected. F-1 students who work on OPT and later switch to H-1B are also exempt. The policy mainly targets outsourcing companies and new foreign workers, particularly from India. Large tech companies are mostly unaffected.

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