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In Case You Don’t Have $100K to Burn on a Visa
The U.S. just kicked off a $100K H‐1B fee. Here are smarter visa routes for founders and investors
Sebastian Vidal
October 10, 2025
I’ve held an H‑1B1, an O‑1, and now a Green Card. Through all that, I learned this: the H‑1B is the flashy headline, but it's rarely the only path.
Now, a new $100,000 fee is getting added to new H‑1B petitions filed on or after Sept 21, 2025. That doesn’t touch existing holders or renewals. But it changes the calculus for any founder building with a U.S. goal.
For startups, this isn’t a small tax; it’s a structural shift. Big firms and immigration advocates are sounding alarms. Some states are already looking to block it. Why the drama? If you are not familiar with the issue, technology giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon rely on this visa to attract talent from all over the world (primarily India), and even though the selection is widely recognized as a “lottery”, there’s still +60K H1B visas distributed every year. So this is technically a significant blow for these tech giants.Business Insider+1
What To Know + What You Can Do Instead
What changed exactly
The $100K is a one‑time fee (for new petitions), not annual.
It does not apply to existing H‑1B holders or renewals…better
It may also impact transfers/new employer petitions, since those are typically treated as new ones.
Visa strategies worth your sweat
Visa / Path | Key Features | When It Makes Sense |
|---|---|---|
H‑1B1 | For Chile & Singapore nationals. Usually under-capacity. | If you qualify, low‑cost, less lottery risk |
O‑1 (Extraordinary Ability) | No lottery. Requires strong proof of achievements. | If you can document high-level recognition (not crazy honestly) |
L‑1 (Intra-company Transfer) | Move employees across your international branches | If you set up or already have operations abroad |
E‑2 (Treaty Investor) | Invest in a U.S. business, often renewable | If your country has an E‑2 treaty with the U.S. |
EB‑2 / NIW | National Interest Waiver: no employer sponsorship needed | For founders whose work can be argued as national interest |
Startup Approach to Immigration
If you are looking for immediate support, the Tukki team is streamlining the entire process, making it faster and sometimes more accessible. Have a look: https://tukki.ai/
Global Visa Friendly Countries & Programs
There is a wider and more frequent set of countries constantly adjusting their migration policies to welcome founders and investors globally. Even though the US remains a very powerful option, the reality is that there are visa opportunities to suit all tastes on our beloved planet.
UAE / Dubai: Green visa for freelancers, long-term residencies, ease of business setup.
Portugal: Updated Golden Visa programs, startup-friendly immigration incentives.
Chile: One-year startup visa + cash incentives if you build locally.
Italy: Startup visa with 50% income tax exemption (for foreigners who relocate).
South Korea: “Startup Korea” visa, plus government grants and relaxed rules for foreign entrepreneurs.
These are just a few examples. Every month, more countries tailor visa policies to welcome builders, not just capital.
What You Should Do Next
Re-run your hiring and visa budget. $100K per hire is real now.
Evaluate the visa options in the table that best suit your profile.
Don’t bet everything on the U.S. Start building points of presence elsewhere.
The visa landscape just shifted. Use this to your advantage.
Sebastián Vidal
Off the Radar