Fees as Skilled‑Immigration Kill Switch

A very large, targeted visa fee (e.g., $100,000 per H‑1B) functions not as revenue-raising but as a de facto quota — it sharply reduces applicant demand, alters employer incentives, and pushes skilled talent away or into alternative jurisdictions. Policymakers often present such fees as budgetary or anti‑abuse measures, but their predictable economic effect is to shrink the skilled immigration channel and the innovation capacity it supports. — Framing large visa fees as an enforcement mechanism with predictable supply‑side effects clarifies the real tradeoffs and should refocus debate from symbolism to capacity, budget, and competitiveness consequences.