U.S. H-1B fee hike strains Korean talent recruitment

On Sept. 21, the U.S. government raised the fee for professional H-1B work visas from $1,000 to $100,000, a 100-fold increase. The measure aims to increase costs for companies hiring foreign workers and encourage them to employ more Americans. The Trump administration, under its “America First” policy, has added another hurdle for foreign STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) talent seeking top U.S. jobs, following high tariffs and tighter immigration enforcement.

H-1B visas, issued for roughly 85,000 cases annually, have long been a key driver of the U.S. IT industry, prompting alarm among big tech companies. Amazon and other major tech firms, which hire more than 10,000 foreign nationals on H-1B visas each year, instructed their foreign employees to “stay in the U.S. or return immediately if abroad.” At U.S. airports, some foreign nationals reacted by leaving flights en masse upon hearing the news of the fee increase.

The measure is expected to affect U.S.-Korea visa negotiations, which were triggered by the recent detention of Korean workers in Georgia. The Korean government has considered securing a quota for H-1B visas, similar to Singapore (5,400 visas) or Chile (1,400 visas), but tough negotiations lie ahead amid the current hardline stance.

However, the move could also offer Korea an opportunity to gain an edge in the global talent competition. With U.S. study and work visas becoming more difficult to obtain, highly qualified candidates who might not have applied in the past are increasingly seeking faculty positions at Korean universities. Universities have responded by increasing scholarships and easing transfer requirements to attract returning Korean students from the U.S.

The government now needs to formulate an aggressive global talent strategy, similar to a “Korean Thousand Talents Program.” With some 120,000 STEM professionals working abroad each year, Korea cannot afford to let opportunities to bring them home slip away. Furthermore, strategies to attract top STEM talent from India, which accounts for 71% of H-1B visas, and China, which accounts for 12%, should be actively pursued. Discussions on visa system reforms, strengthened R&D support, and ensuring living conditions are essential for Korea to become a global hub for technological talent.