Hello from Tokyo. U.S. President Donald Trump late last month signed a proclamation significantly revising the H-1B visa program, which is essential for tech engineers and other highly skilled professionals looking to ply their trade in America. The visa application fees have been drastically increased, making it far harder for overseas talent to work in the world’s biggest economy. Concerns over the new restrictions are most prominent in India, a country that has sent particularly large numbers of tech professionals abroad.
Silicon Valley, the tech industry’s global hub, has built its influence by attracting top talent from around the world. Notable leaders such as Google co-founder Sergey Brin, born in Russia; Nvidia founder Jensen Huang, born in Taiwan; and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, born in South Africa, are just a few examples. Apart from such high-profile names, numerous rank-and-file employees at tech companies also hail from overseas. According to a report by the nonprofit organization Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the region’s foreign-born population reached a historic high of 41% in 2023.
In a dramatic contrast to the Trump administration’s tough stance, China on Wednesday launched a new visa program as it pushes to rival the U.S. tech industry. The new “K visa” category aims “to promote exchanges and cooperation between young Chinese and foreign scientific and technological talents,” according to a government spokesperson.
China, with existing strict immigration policies, is unlikely to create a tech-heavy cosmopolis like Silicon Valley through a new visa program alone. Nevertheless, the chances are rising that Asian tech workers who had been considering employment in the U.S. may now turn elsewhere. Beyond just the H-1B visa, tightening American immigration policy is set to have a major impact on many people across Asia. Please check Nikkei Asia for the latest updates.
My suggested reads
1. Tariffs have dominated the headlines in 2025. But barring a last-minute reprieve, we’re days away from another U.S. jolt to trade: new port fees on ships owned, built or operated by Chinese companies. This has already sent the world’s cargo carriers scurrying to move Chinese vessels off U.S. routes. Chinese maritime behemoth COSCO and its units face a particularly acute challenge and, bankers say, a potential $2 billion bill next year. One of our editors took a deep dive into the complexities of the U.S. policy, aimed at sparking an American shipbuilding revival.
2. After decades of little activity, momentum is finally building to construct the ASEAN Power Grid, which would connect the 10 members of the bloc. Driven by demand for clean energy, the pressure to decarbonize and the need to attract foreign investment, regional governments are deepening the integration of their electricity generation and transmission. They are targeting 17.5 gigawatts of cross-border capacity by 2040, up from 7.7 GW in 2024.
3. Indonesia’s cigarette company stocks are suffering a prolonged decline as the country faces a massive tobacco surplus amid weak consumption due to rising unemployment. People in one of the world’s largest smoking populations have turned to cheaper, often illicit, cigarettes, eroding the industry’s profitability and putting it in what analysts say is an “existential squeeze.”
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Akito Tanaka
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