One year of upheaval for H-1B hopefuls

The Trump administration said the fee was intended to focus sponsorship on “truly highly specialized temporary labor,” according to a White House spokesperson. A USCIS spokesperson said the agency wants employment-based visa programs to “supplement, not supplant American workers.” The changes have reached beyond H-1B visas, touching student visas and green card sponsorships.

Over the past year, Business Insider spoke with more than two dozen H-1B visa holders and hopefuls, as well as immigration lawyers and experts in policy and economics. Its reporters examined individual accounts alongside federal application data to assess which workers, employers and industries have been most affected, and the trade-offs involved in building a future around the visa.

The project includes reporting on winners and losers in the changing H-1B system, the sacrifices involved in pursuing a career in the US, and skilled workers considering other countries when their plans in America falter. Personal accounts describe layoffs that led people to leave the US, concerns about whether an H-1B offers enough security to buy a home or start a family, and decisions to build new lives elsewhere.

Three people featured in video interviews said they had hoped to settle in the US through the H-1B system but left after those plans fell apart. Their stories detail the personal, professional and financial consequences of starting over in another country. Business Insider also invited readers to share their immigration experiences with its reporters.