Hundreds of international UW-Madison employees urged to use caution as Trump administration changes visa program

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – A new immigration policy from the Trump administration is creating a murky situation for hundreds of workers at UW-Madison. 

The Trump administration is making changes to the H-1B visa program. People with those visas are in the US for work, and are often sponsored by their employer. Tech companies and universities often use these visas to employ top talent from other countries. 

According to Reuters, the president’s changes include favoring higher-skilled workers, and requiring a $100,000 yearly fee from the sponsoring company. 

Staff at UW-Madison confirmed to WMDX News there are 380 employees with H-1B visas sponsored by the university. 

Later, Trump administration officials clarified that the changes only apply to new and prospective visa applicants. That means current UW-Madison employees who are here on H-1B visas shouldn’t be impacted. 

Still, university leaders are urging caution among employees. Leaders are telling these employees to “consult with your unit or department to understand the potential risks and impacts” before international travel. For many of these employees, international travel includes conferences and trips home to see loved ones. 

Guidance from the university said everything is quickly evolving, and there are still a lot of unknowns.