Hedge fund manager Spencer Hakimian shared a story about his best friend, who is in the US on an H-1B visa, and how the recent chaos affected him. The Donald Trump administration announced a $100,000 H-1B visa fee Friday, triggering major uncertainty as companies were unsure about what to do next and called back all foreign workers who were not in the US at the time before the clarification came that the new fee will be applicable for any new applications. The clarification put the anxiety to rest but the onslaught of hatred from US tech workers is continuing non-stop. “My best friend is an H1B visa holder. Born and raised in Italy. Lives in New York for the past decade. He’s done everything right. Went to college here when he could barely speak our language. Got a job. Pays taxes. Contributes to our economy, society, and culture,” Hakimian narrated the story of his best friend.“We were grabbing a bite on Friday when the news broke out that H1B visa holders would be required to pay $100,00 per year. He was legitimately devastated at the prospect of having to leave the country he calls home. The next morning, when I called him and said the fee will not apply to existing visa holders, he cried, uncontrollably on the phone for a full minute straight,” Hakimian added. “If he isn’t the American Dream, then I don’t know what is,” he concluded. The story did not impress social media users who asked why the said best friend did not get citizenship despit living in the country clearly for so many years. “You should have told him to get his green card a long time ago. Also dont you own a literal hedge fund? You must be either awful at your job or a terrible friend if you want just give him that much to stay in the country,” one snapped at Hakimian. “Ten years? Why doesn’t he have a green card? If he had a green card this wouldn’t have happened. You can apply for residency after an H1B visa,” another wrote.
