Nvidia and Openai CEOs respond to Trump’s H-1B visa move

nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Openai CEO Sam Altman commented on Monday on President Donald Trump’s decision to increase the costs of hiring foreign workers on visas.

Trump announced Friday that it would raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, with businesses scrambling. Employers must currently have payment documentation before filing the H-1B petition on behalf of the worker. According to the White House, applicants will limit petitions for 12 months until payment is made.

Huang and Altman responded to changes in their interview with CNBC’s Jon Fortt. The two executives have announced that Nvidia will invest $100 billion in Openai to build a multi-billion-dollar data center based on Chipmaker’s AI processors.

“We hope that all bright minds will come to the United States and remember that immigration is the foundation of America’s dream,” fans said Monday. “We represent America’s dreams, and I think immigration is really important to our company and really important to our country’s future. I’m happy to see President Trump making the move.”

Openai CEO Sam Altman also expressed positive outlook on Trump’s change.

“We need to get the smartest people in the country, streamline the process and what we can outline financial incentives,” says Altman.

The new $100,000 fee will be a seismic shift in the US technology and financial sector, particularly relying on the H-1B program for highly skilled immigrants from India and China. Both countries accounted for 71% and 11.7% of visa holders last year, respectively.

Those who already have an H-1B visa and who are outside the US do not have to pay to re-enter. Many employers use H-1B workers to fill these highly technical role gaps that are not found within the American labor supply.

-CNBC Technical Reporter Annie Palmer contributed to this report.

Watch: Watch the full CNBC interview with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Openai leaders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman