H-1B visa costs explode to $100k

Signal Summary: Trump just nuked H-1B visas with a $100K fee bomb, companies are hunting talent on TikTok like it's a job board, and 60% of employers plan AI-driven layoffs by 2026. Welcome to chaos. Plus, when cultural fit becomes a “legal liability”.

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HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK ↓

SIGNAL 1
Trump drops $100K visa bomb on staffing firms

The nuclear option: Trump just turned H-1B visas into luxury items, slapping a $100,000 fee on new applications.

The damage:

• Fee jumped from $780 to $100,000 overnight (that's not a typo)

• DOL launching investigations into firms using H-1B workers

• IT staffing firms that’ve built empires on H-1B arbitrage are having a full-blown panic attack in the breakroom

Reality check: Over 470,000 applications were submitted in 2025 for just 85,000 visas. Now most can't afford to play.

Signal → Strategy: Position nearshore staffing partnerships in Canada and Mexico as instant H-1B alternatives. Companies need skilled workers yesterday, and geography just became your competitive advantage.

Go deeper: Staffing Industry Analysts - H-1B Visa Changes

SIGNAL 2
Your next software engineer is scrolling TikTok right now

Breaking: Recruiters are now sliding into candidates' For You pages between Sabrina Carpenter videos and cat memes. And it's actually working.

What's happening:

• 73% of grads more likely to apply after seeing employer content

• Qualtrics brand-influenced candidates respond 2x faster to outreach

• "Day in the life" videos crush $100K production budgets

• Workers trust employee voices over corporate PR speak

Signal → Strategy: Launch employee takeover Fridays where your best temps showcase real workdays on Instagram and TikTok. Skip the production company, because authenticity beats polish every time.

Go deeper: HR Brew - TikTok Recruiting

SIGNAL 3
60% of companies planning layoffs as AI eats the workforce

The coming storm: Nearly 60% of companies anticipate workforce reductions in 2026, and AI isn't just taking jobs, it's reshaping which humans companies actually need.

The numbers:

• 50% have frozen hiring or slashed recruitment already

• 30% of companies have already replaced roles with AI

• High-salary positions without AI skills are most vulnerable

• Companies cutting permanent staff but needing flexible workforce solutions

The opportunity: History shows economic chaos drives demand for contingent staffing. Companies still need humans, just not on the payroll.

Signal → Strategy: Build "AI transition teams" offering project-based workforce solutions for digital transformation. Package 90-day engagements to help companies automate processes while maintaining operations through flexible staffing.

Go deeper: StaffingHub - AI Layoffs Report

RECRUITING CONFESSIONAL
When "Cultural Fit" Becomes a Legal Liability

Recruiting Confessional: A weekly series featuring anonymous stories from recruiting and staffing professionals. Submit yours here.

The Setup: Senior leader in construction needed an admin assistant. Simple enough request, right?

The Request: Client specified they wanted someone "between 20-25 who was easy on the eyes and didn't have an annoying voice." Uhhhhhh…

The Lesson: When clients give you requirements that would make an HR lawyer's eye twitch, shut it down immediately, and if they persist, fire the client.

Have a story? Submit it here

WEEKLY POLL

SHARE THE SIGNALS
3 people you should share these signals with:

1. Your VP of IT staffing frantically recalculating visa budgets

2. That marketing director who thinks LinkedIn is the only recruiting channel

3. Your friend who's been ignoring AI like it's a fad diet