H1B At $100,000 A Day? US Founder Says He’ll Still Sponsor Indian Talent

Shahriar Tajbakhsh (Image credit: LinkedIn)

A US-based co-founder and CTO has brushed aside concerns over a proposed $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee, quipping that he would be willing to pay the amount “per day” if required. The remarks from Shahriar Tajbakhsh of London-headquartered Metaview AI come as the company’s India-focused hiring campaign — in the world’s largest H-1B talent market — has sparked fresh debate amid rising anti-H-1B sentiment in the US.

Replying to a post on X that argued the H-1B fee should be $100,000 per year rather than a one-time charge, Tajbakhsh wrote, “Make it per day. I’ll set up a recurring payment,” signalling that such costs are negligible compared to the value top tech workers add to his organisation.

Metaview’s recruitment posters circulating in India — including lines like “Yes, we still sponsor H-1Bs” and “No, AI won’t build itself” — further amplified the discussion online, setting the firm apart in a tech landscape where visa sponsorship is increasingly seen as a burden.

‘Trying to save money on talent is irresponsible’

Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-origin tech entrepreneur and engineer, stressed that exceptional talent is indispensable for building impactful products.

“When you sum up the value created by people’s hard work, $100,000 just doesn’t matter. The only way to build anything meaningful that changes people’s lives is to have a world-class team — there’s no shortcut around that. Trying to save money on talent is the most irresponsible thing a founder could possibly do,” he told Business Insider earlier this year.

Why the $100,000 H-1B fee doesn’t matter

For Tajbakhsh, the discussion around higher visa fees overlooks a fundamental truth: talent determines outcomes. He confirmed that Metaview still plans to file additional H-1B petitions in the next lottery cycle despite US President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening visa rules. “An organisation’s success or failure is a function of its people,” he said.