The US H-1B visa, the main pipeline for skilled tech, health, and finance talent, now faces a $100,000 application fee hike. This barrier effectively prices out smaller businesses and increases global uncertainty for top candidates. China is capitalizing with its new K-visa: an accessible, non-employer-sponsored path for foreign STEM graduates. This strategic countermove is diverting the world’s best talent, posing an immediate innovation drain and retention crisis for US SMB