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$100K H-1B Shocker: Who still gets hired and how to play it

H-1B $100K shock, SoftBank’s AI pivot and layoffs, tech at 48.9% of the S&P, aiApply and Wobo tips, plus a quick poll

September 25, 2025

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"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." -V

👋 Welcome, Jobseekers

The White House just dropped a $100K H-1B surprise that will bend hiring toward high-pay roles, SoftBank is doubling down on an AI moonshot while cutting staff, and tech now owns 48.9 percent of the S&P 500. We’ve also tested aiApply and Wobo so you can work smarter, not harder, and there’s a one-question poll asking if the H-1B shakeup will change how you apply. Read on, pick a lane, and let’s turn this market chaos into your next offer.

  • 🧑‍✈️ Career CoPilot: $100K H-1B shocker: who still gets hired and how to play it

  • 📉 Layoff Report: SoftBank’s Layoffs & AI Moonshot Is Reshaping Where Tech Talent Is Needed Next

  • 📈 Trends & Data: Tech now equals 48.9% of the S&P 500. Here’s where the jobs and money are.

  • 🔧 Jobseeker Tools: aiApply, Wobo

$100K H-1B shocker: Who still gets hired and how to play it

Overview:

The White House set a one-time $100,000 payment on new H-1B petitions effective Sep 21, 2025, and says renewals and current holders are not affected, per the official H-1B FAQ.

The Details

  • Proclamation restricts entry for H-1B workers outside the U.S. unless the $100,000 is paid; effective 12:01 a.m. EDT Sep 21, 2025; lasts 12 months; has “national interest” exemptions. White House Proclamation.

  • White House clarifies: not annual, one-time, new petitions only; existing visas and travel remain allowed. H-1B FAQ.

  • Attorneys urged caution on travel and filings amid rollout confusion. CBS News.

  • Cap unchanged: 65,000 regular + 20,000 master’s; FY26 cap reached Jul 18, 2025. USCIS alert.

  • DHS proposed rule would weight selection by wage level; comments due Oct 24, 2025. Federal Register NPRM.

  • DHS estimates selection odds under weighting: Level I 15.29% (−48%), Level II 30.58% (+3%), Level III 45.87% (+55%), Level IV 61.16% (+107%). Federal Register Table 13.

Why It Matters

Hiring won’t stop. It will tilt to higher-pay, higher-skill roles at employers that can absorb the fee or qualify for exemptions. Expect big tech, defense, chips, and critical infrastructure to keep sponsoring. Proclamation; Federal Register.

  • Senior ICs and managers: Target roles paying Level III–IV wages; your odds improve. Federal Register

  • Global mobility/legal ops: Build travel and filing playbooks around the one-time fee and exemption paths. FAQ; Proclamation

  • Health and finance IT: Demand remains; both sectors use H-1Bs widely. CBS News

A Not-So-Fun-Fact:

Amazon has cut 27K US jobs since 2022 but snagged 25K H-1B visas for 2025, basically ditching American workers for cheaper foreign ones.

Do This Today

Research and target defense contractors, semiconductor and AI firms, hyper-scalers, and hospital systems facing shortages. These sectors either (A) hire lots of H-1B workers, (B) face real domestic talent shortages, or (C) can absorb or qualify around the $100K fee, so they’re the most promising places to find sponsor-ready roles fast.

  • Use can these search terms on the LinkedIn Jobs page. Just copy and paste, including parentheses and quotes, but swap in your role accordingly.

("semiconductor" OR "defense tech" OR "AI infrastructure") AND ("software engineer" OR "product manager") posted:past week remote

Will you apply differently?

This quick poll asks whether the $100K H-1B fee and wage-weighted selection will change your job search strategy. Pick the option that best matches how you’ll change where or what you apply for.

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

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Tech now equals 48.9% of the S&P 500. Here’s where the jobs and money are.

Overview:

Tech’s share of the S&P 500 is 48.9%, and there are 221,105 open roles across tech companies, according to (TrueUp)

The Details

  • Combined valuation of tracked tech companies: $44.9T.

  • Tech companies valued >$1B: 2,030. Public: 525. Private: 1,505.

  • Open jobs at tech companies: 221,105.

  • Top current hiring totals: Amazon 13,411; Apple 4,889; TikTok 4,091; IBM 4,032; Tesla 3,623; Oracle 3,005.

  • AI-heavy concentration: Nvidia is ~7.3% of the S&P 500; Mag 7 are ~34% of the index by value.

  • U.S. tech postings across all industries: 446,763 active in Aug, down 2.6% MoM; AI-skill demand up 94% YoY.

Why It Matters

Hiring follows money. When tech dominates index weight and mega-cap capex, budgets flow to cloud, AI, and enterprise software. That pulls headcount and contractors with it.

  • Product + Eng: Proof of shipping on AI-adjacent features will beat generic app work.

  • GTM: Enterprise sellers and PMMs who map to AI, cloud, and data platforms have the tailwind.

  • Early-career: Land in high-volume hiring orgs first. Then rotate into niche teams.

aiApply

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Wobo

Stop Searching, Start Working!

Ditch the job boards. Wobo, your Personal AI Recruiter, Finds and Applies to the best jobs for you. Interviews, not applications!

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