People point out outrageous Melania Trump irony as the president announces $100,000 price increase on popular visa
As President Donald Trump officially approves a massive fee hike of a popular visa, people have pointed out the outrageous irony of the move.
Following a new executive order, the H-1B visa will now cost $100,000 to secure - up from $1,500, which is an increase of more than 6,500 percent.
The program allows skilled foreign workers to be employed in the US, often in science, engineering, and tech roles... but on some occasions, even models can secure it - as First Lady Melania Trump will tell you.
In 1996, a 26-year-old Melania, nee Knauss, moved to the US from Slovenia hoping to make it as a model after catwalk scout, and modelling business owner, Paolo Zampolli convinced her to.
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Two years later, Zampolli introduced Melania to Trump and they began dating shortly after. The POTUS has since rewarded his friend with the title of US Special Representative for Global Partnerships.
Anyway, 10 years later, Melania gets US citizenship... but had the H-1B visa been $100,000 rather than $1,500, it's likely that she would never have made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, people on Twitter have began pointing that out.
"Donald Trump just crushed the American Dream for Indians. H1B visa fees increased to annual charges of $100,000. Current fee: $1000," one user wrote, referencing how Indians traveling to the States make up the majority of the H-1B visas handed out.
"The irony is, The First Lady Melania Trump, also received an H-1B visa in October 1996 for modelling work. She was a Slovenian national.
"India, with a whopping 72% of all the H1B visa applicants, tops the list."
While a second tweeted: "Just noting Melania Trump - then Melania Knauss - came to the U.S. on a H-1B visa in October 1996."
With a third user commenting under a separate post: "Didn't Melania Trump come to America on a H-1B Visa?"
Anyway, Trump defended the move by citing widespread 'abuse' of the system.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the $100,000 fee for the H-1B visa will need to be paid yearly for six years.
He said: "The company needs to decide... is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American."
Before insisting: "All of the big companies are on board."
The order is said to apply from September 21 and will only apply to new applicants.
Amazon is the biggest user of the scheme, followed by Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google, according to the government.
Topics: Donald Trump, Immigration, Melania Trump, US News, Money, Jobs
Joe Yates