When news broke last month that H1-B visa holders in the US would be subjected to a new hefty fee of $100,000, chaos and confusion ensued for a lot of tech workers and their employers. It’s the latest in a string of restrictive visa measures imposed by the Trump administration that has been making tech talent wonder if they should look elsewhere.
Lauren Goode sits down with senior writer Zeyi Yang and senior editor Louise Matsakis to discuss the short-term and long-term effects of these measures, and how China is seizing the moment and offering a new visa program to bring tech talent into the country.
You can follow Lauren Goode on Bluesky at @laurengoode, Zeyi Yang on Bluesky at @zeyiyang, and Louise Matsakis on Bluesky at @lmatsakis. Write to us at uncannyvalley@….com.
Mentioned in this episode:
$3,800 Flights and Aborted Takeoffs: How Trump’s H-1B Announcement Panicked Tech Workers by Zeyi Yang
China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs by Louise Matsakis
A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu by Zeyi Yang
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Transcript
Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.
Lauren Goode: Hey, Louise. How are you doing this week?
Louise Matsakis: I'm good. I'm excited to be here covering for Mike this week,
Lauren Goode: Especially considering that it sounds like there's a lot going on outside of your apartment.
Louise Matsakis: Yes, there is a giant sinkhole on my block, so I currently have no running water. Very exciting.
Lauren Goode: And yet you're podcasting through it? Incredibly grateful.
Louise Matsakis: Of course, Lauren. Nothing would get in the way between me and podcasting.
Lauren Goode: Well, thank you for being our guest co-host two weeks in a row. It's a really busy time for everyone. And I'm particularly excited to have you on the pod today because of the topic we're going to be discussing. Before we dive into it, we have another colleague joining us today too, Zeyi Yang. Hey, Zeyi. How's it going?
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