Trump came for the H-1B visa. We spent a year reporting on the fallout.

Business Insider investigated the impact of the $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions introduced by the Trump administration in September 2025. This fee change triggered a year of turmoil for H-1B visa holders and hopefuls, leading to numerous adjustments across various immigration tiers, from student visas to green card sponsorships.

The administration claimed the fee aimed to prioritize truly highly specialized temporary labor, while a USCIS spokesperson emphasized that the goal was to ensure employment-based visa programs supplement, rather than replace, American workers.

Our team interviewed more than two dozen H-1B visa holders and hopefuls to document the personal and professional consequences of these policy shifts. These stories, presented in the as-told-to format, shed light on the dreams, sacrifices, and challenges of foreign nationals pursuing the American dream through the H-1B visa system. Many of those we spoke to expressed concerns about public visibility during a period of heightened immigration enforcement.

Throughout this project, our primary objectives were to chronicle the far-reaching impacts of the policy upheaval and to maintain a focus on the human experiences affected by these changes. In "H-1B Fallout," we explore the industries, employers, and workers who have either benefited or suffered due to the evolving rules. Our data analysis of H-1B applications reveals significant shifts in application patterns, offering insights into which sectors and countries skilled foreign workers are gravitating towards in light of these policy changes.

In their own words, the individuals featured in this series provide firsthand accounts of their journeys to the US, the challenges of building lives under the H-1B visa system, and the disappointments when those plans ultimately fell through. Watch and listen to their personal stories below.