The United States has stunned global employers and workers with a new rule: any new H-1B visa application from outside the country will now carry a $100,000 fee. The H-1B has long been the main door for highly skilled workers — especially in technology — to enter the U.S. For decades, the H-1B served as America’s talent pipeline: graduates from global universities, young engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs used it to enter the American system. Canada, the UK, and parts of Europe already offer friendlier immigration routes for skilled workers. The $100,000 H-1B fee may generate revenue in the short term, reduce pressure on the U.S. labor market, and address political demands for stricter immigration.