Aaron Levie, the CEO of Box, is protesting President Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa cost, claiming it will unfairly favor big tech firms over financially challenged startups in the race for international talent. Together with Andreessen Horowitz partners, Levie made the case on “The A16z Podcast” that the high cost structure effectively makes recruiting people abroad “a spending game” that smaller businesses cannot win. Starting on September 21, the new regulation will drastically increase costs from the current $2,000 to $5,000.
The CEO of the Box supported Keith Rabois of Khosla Ventures’ far lower $20,000 price, arguing that it wouldn’t stop smaller businesses from bidding for qualified personnel. Trump’s fee may “kneecap their hiring in the talent wars,” according to startup founders who have already told Business Insider, driving foreign workers to Big Tech firms that can more readily stomach the costs.