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Google workers are piling the pressure on their employer to speak out against President Trump’s shock $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
The sudden executive order, signed late Friday, applies to new H-1B visas that employers rely on to fill specialist roles in fields like computer science, engineering, and R&D.
At a press conference held by Alphabet Workers Union (AWU) earlier this week, a small group of Googlers called on the tech giant to “stand with the immigrant workers.”
Google applied for over 5,00 H-1B visas for employees in 2024, USCIS data shows.
‘A choice to make’ – workers unhappy with Google’s public silence
Per a Business Insider report, a small group of roughly 25 workers stood outside Google’s office on Monday morning.
Wearing AWU and ‘Googlers for Job Security’ tops, the group made their message clear ahead of the union’s press conference on H-1B visas.
"Our employer, Google, has a choice to make," said one software engineer, giving a speech to his fellow workers. “They are one of the largest and most powerful companies in the US. Will they stand with the immigrant workers that helped build this company?”
Others in attendance held signs that shared the same message, calling on Google to “stand with immigrant workers” and publicly speak out against the $100,000 fee.
Another speaker, a former H-1B visa holder from China and a permanent resident since 2017, said he would have had to cancel his travel plans if such a fee had been in place when he first came to the US.
The group of protestors also demanded that Google grant any H-1B visa holders who are laid off an extended period of time on the company’s payroll, giving them more time to hunt for a job.
On Saturday, the White House clarified that the new fee would only apply to new visa applications, not current holders or renewals.
‘Take a stand,’ says Alphabet union boss
Google’s immigration law firm, BAL, issued a memo to H-1B visa holders traveling abroad, advising them to return to the US immediately and offering individual support where needed.
The company is “actively monitoring the situation,” the memo said.
But while there has been some internal communication, Parul Koul, President of the AWU, spoke to BI, criticizing Google’s public silence.
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“Google is one of the most powerful companies in the world, and they have yet to say anything about what's happened and really take a stand and side with their own workers,” she said.
Koul clarified that their main target is the Trump Administration, but a statement from Google – with its “political and economic power” – would be a “key part” of their message.
One of the workers told BI that subjects such as immigration are not freely discussed in Google’s offices, beyond one-on-one conversations, even though opinions lurk “under the surface.”
