Scott Bettridge was quoted in a Barron’s article discussing the impact of the Trump administration’s H-1B visa fee increase and expanded immigration enforcement on the U.S. labor market. While the $100,000 visa cost may strain tech start-ups and complicate relations with India, Scott emphasized that “the $100,000 fee is not really going to have a major impact on staffing or hiring for the most part—and the larger the company, obviously the less of a burden that’s going to be.” He noted that the more significant challenges come from deportations, worksite raids, and tighter restrictions on legal migration.

Scott also examined how companies are adapting to the resulting uncertainty. “There are a lot of different industries that are grappling with labor shortages, project delays, supply chain issues, and increased costs in the wake of increased worksite raids and reduced migration into the U.S.” He added that international applicants are increasingly hesitant to disclose their sponsorship needs. “You have gone through weeks of this process to hire one individual, only to find out now that they are not authorized to work and you kind of have to start over.” These enforcement measures are prompting companies to invest heavily in compliance and careful hiring strategies, even though the H-1B fee increase alone is unlikely to significantly disrupt overall employment.

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