The world of work has just been flipped upside down. For decades, securing an H-1B visa was the golden ticket for companies hoping to bring global talent to the United States. Startups, tech companies, and even ambitious midsize businesses have relied on it. But all that changed in a single headline-making decision.
Global hiring just left the old visa system behind.
On September 21, at just after midnight, new US policy arrives: the cost of filing an H-1B visa skyrockets to $100,000 per application. That’s not a typo. This new price tag, up from a few thousand dollars, hits like a financial earthquake.
It forces companies to rethink everything about how (or if) they hire international team members. Can a Series B startup pay $100K for one engineer? What about a healthcare provider needing a specialist? The rules of the game have changed.
Until recently, companies would pay between $2,000 and $5,000 in total to file a new H-1B petition. According to CNBC reports, the White House move multiplies that by twenty or even fifty times. It’s a move, many say, that was designed to redirect flows of technical talent, marking a seismic shift for the US as a global talent destination, and especially for the businesses fueling its tech engine.
For the vast majority, especially for those not protected by deep pockets or massive HR teams, this signals the end of the old era. There’s no sugarcoating that for the people and the businesses most impacted.
It’s tempting to see this as just another twist in immigration. But the new $100,000 H-1B fee feels less like a tweak, and more like a deliberate brick wall. Why would anyone do this, knowing the risk of talent drain?
The honest answer is that the narrative has changed. Instead of protecting jobs, the real effect may be pricing out entire sectors—from the brightest AI researchers to cybersecurity leads and multilingual support experts. Tech, healthcare, R&D, consulting. No industry is immune.
As TechCrunch captures, startup founders call it a “talent tariff.” Many describe the new cost as a direct hit to innovation. In candid conversations, founders and global mobility managers admit their next move is simple—look elsewhere.
Large enterprises have options. They may pass on costs to clients, or redistribute talent within global offices. The hit is real, but they have defensive strategies.
But the real pain falls hardest on:
For many, $100K per hire means… no hire at all.
That math is not sustainable. Five new hires could mean half a million dollars in fees—before you pay a single salary or set up a laptop. Even VC-backed companies flinch at such sums. Wallets snap shut.
The new reality: every dollar spent on immigration lawyers and government fees is a dollar not spent on R&D, sales, support, or customer growth. The long-term effects probably haven’t even begun to show.
What started as a scramble for alternatives now looks like a full-throated shift in hiring strategy. As costly as H-1B has become, the incentives to “go global first” are overwhelming. It’s not a fringe idea anymore—it’s the new default.
Instead of relocating candidates to the US, leadership teams are now asking:
Suddenly, the globe feels not just accessible, but preferred. Instead of pulling talent into one location, companies connect talent to their clients wherever they live.
If new US policies make hiring international workers impossible, which countries stand to gain? The answer is telling.
Across North America and beyond, companies are now:
This is not just theory. Job boards and HR dashboards tell the story—record spikes in overseas job postings, salary benchmarking for major cities outside the US, and a constant stream of “We’re hiring globally. Join us from anywhere.”
The story isn’t about losing talent. It’s about not moving it.
The rise of global hiring can be summed up with one phrase: compliance with simplicity. Enterprise Workforce Solutions (EWS), as a management consultancy, steps in to fill a unique role for these companies that once would chase H-1B visas.
Instead of paying $100,000 to hopefully win a lottery and bring one worker to the US, EWS offers Employer of Record (EOR) solutions. This means:
There’s no need to incorporate a company abroad, wrestle with ever-changing regulations, or fear a lawsuit. All the practical and legal responsibility rests with the EOR provider. EWS stands between the client and the headaches of global compliance.
EWS connects that first hire in Brazil, provides immigration support for a relocation to Canada, and navigates complex payroll in a place like India. Their focus is on working with startups, technology firms, and Series B/C companies, helping ensure teams keep growing without unmanageable cost or risk.
Hire globally. Stay stable. Grow faster.
Let’s break this down with a real-world scenario. Imagine you’re an IT vendor or global mobility manager at a fast-moving SaaS company. Pre-fee hike, each H-1B was about $5,000. Now, it’s $100,000—not counting recruiter fees, relocation, or delays.
Across a single scaling year:
That’s before considering salaries, relocation costs, and lost productivity from legal slowdowns. The delta is clear. The “talent tariff” becomes a decisive factor in company strategy.
It’s not just about money. The complexity of hiring someone from overseas touches every part of business: taxes, insurance, leave entitlements, social security, and severance. One misstep can turn into legal disputes, lost jobs, or reputational damage.
When companies decide to use an EOR like EWS, all those concerns move to a single point of contact. No new entity in a foreign country, no direct payroll admin, no “who is responsible for health coverage” headaches. Companies focus on their product, their service, and their customers. Everything else is handled.
That’s a non-trivial relief, especially when moving into new markets or hiring roles that are business critical. A compliance error or a missed tax deadline in an overseas jurisdiction isn’t just a hassle. It can become a company-ending risk.
Many companies most affected by the new H-1B fee aren’t massive tech giants—they’re the builder companies, those raising their Series B or C, or hitting $10 million ARR for the first time. For them, every hire must count.
A $100,000 bill for each international team member would crush most startup hiring plans. It would also kill innovation, reduce agility, and slow market capture.
By shifting spending away from legal fees and bureaucracy and putting it toward transparent, predictable EOR arrangements, companies can unlock global markets, reduce financial risk, and invest more in growing their product and customer base.
If the H-1B system is now a luxury reserved for a few, the rest of the business world is being channeled toward something more fluid and global. What started out as a response to a negative (sky-high fee) is transforming to a positive: teams built without borders, and businesses able to pursue the best talent anywhere.
This shift isn’t happening quietly. It’s reverberating in every industry touched by skilled work—cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, engineering. Companies are learning that remote setups, managed correctly, can even improve retention, diversity, and time to market.
It comes down to control. With EWS, clients keep direct oversight of their teams, while skipping the headaches and landmines of local labor regulations. Pay, benefits, reporting—all streamlined, all above board.
Some companies will wait. They’ll hope the fee drops. Maybe there will be exceptions written in for STEM fields. Perhaps. But while they’re waiting, their competitors could be building teams in Mexico City, Hyderabad, or Montreal.
The companies that move now, adapt quickly, and embrace modern global employment models stand to expand faster, save money, and build more diverse, energized teams. Inaction could mean a talent flight that’s impossible to reverse.
It’s less “why are we doing this?” and more “why aren’t you?”
The speed of business doesn’t slow down for slow rule changes or outdated playbooks.
Adaptation is already visible. Job postings for remote roles are up by double digits. Companies are establishing global payrolls, compliance, and HR support outside the US. Flexible work visas and direct international contracts are the norm, not the exception.
With EWS in the picture, companies can be nimble. They navigate new regulations, test new markets, and avoid bottlenecks. They focus on people, not paperwork. It’s a way forward that is built for the risks (and opportunities) of 2025 and beyond.
In a single policy move, the ground shifted. The H-1B, long a cornerstone of US hiring, is now a high-cost exception. Yet what feels like an obstacle is becoming fuel for a new, worldwide hiring playbook.
If your company faces rising costs and regulatory hurdles, don’t freeze. Rethink. The modern world offers smart, compliant, and scalable ways to add the best talent—without borders, headaches, or unreadable fine print.
EWS is helping companies move forward confidently with tailored global hiring solutions and compliance at every step. If you want to keep up, maybe even get ahead, now is the moment to act. Reach out, ask questions, learn how EWS can help your team grow—wherever your next star employee lives.
Global hiring in tech is the practice of recruiting skilled professionals from anywhere in the world, without bringing them to company headquarters. Roles like software development, cybersecurity, project management, and customer support are sourced internationally. Companies use local contracts or Employer of Record providers such as EWS to stay compliant, manage payroll, and provide benefits. This approach helps tech firms access a larger pool of talent, reduce costs, and operate around the clock thanks to different time zones.
H-1B visas have become extremely expensive and unpredictable. With the new $100,000 fee per application (as reported by CNBC), startups and smaller businesses can’t afford to bring international employees to the US. Legal delays, lottery uncertainty, and high compliance risks also make the process much less attractive. Firms now prefer direct international employment models—they’re quicker, much cheaper, and often just as effective.
With H-1B, a company pays huge application fees, waits through a lottery, and often faces months of legal work. The worker has to relocate and adapt to a new country. In contrast, global hiring allows companies to employ people in their home countries. Employment is arranged through local contracts or via an Employer of Record partner. It’s faster, more stable, and usually less expensive, with the added benefit of empowering workers to remain where they’re happiest and most productive.
Absolutely. The cost of an H-1B visa now sits at $100,000 per application, excluding legal and relocation fees. By hiring via global contracts or through a partner like EWS, companies usually spend a small fraction of that—often less than $500 per month, per employee, for all payroll and compliance needs. Those savings can be redirected into hiring more staff, faster product development, or expanding into new markets.
Global remote teams bring a wealth of benefits. Businesses can tap into 24-hour productivity, support customers in multiple languages, and reach fresh markets quickly. There’s a bigger talent pool, improved retention, and often greater team diversity. With the right infrastructure and compliance support—like the services EWS provides—teams work together smoothly even across borders, driving innovation and growth without the heavy legal baggage of old systems.
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