Pipeshift Keeps Hiring as H-1B Fees Jump to $100K

Plans Unscathed Amid Fee Surge: Pipeshift's Future

Pipeshift's hiring plan is intact. CEO and co-founder Arko Chattopadhyay is set to add up to ten roles over the next year, even after an executive order raised H-1B application fees to $100,000.

The calculus: keep building with U.S.-based talent where possible, and expand through remote or alternative visa paths when needed. For leaders weighing headcount against policy risk, this is a blueprint for staying on offense.

The Hiring Plan

Founded in 2024 with backing from Y Combinator, Pipeshift raised $2.5 million in seed funding this January. The company builds a platform to create and deploy open-source AI models.

The team is currently split: four in the Bay Area, seven in India. Over the next twelve months, the company expects to add two hires in the U.S.-one green card holder and one on OPT-plus additional remote talent as needed.

Visa Paths That Still Work

Arko and his two co-founders hold O-1 visas, sponsored by Y Combinator. The O-1 targets individuals with extraordinary ability and can be viable for researchers or standout engineers with citations and strong references. Details: USCIS O-1 overview.

For early-career talent, OPT provides one to three years of work authorization in STEM. Companies can evaluate fit and impact first, then consider an O-1 for long-term retention. More on OPT here.

L-1 transfers also remain an option for established employees at affiliated entities. Together, these channels reduce overreliance on H-1B.

Financial Calculus for Founders and CFOs

Pipeshift planned to relocate a standout engineer from Chennai to the Bay Area by late 2025. With the fee spike, that move is now on hold until the candidate levels up further.

The threshold is stage-dependent. At Series A or B, a $100,000 fee may be acceptable for an exceptional hire whose output clearly justifies the cost. At seed, conserving cash and using OPT, O-1, L-1, or offshore talent can extend runway without slowing execution.

What This Means for U.S. AI Talent

Arko expects limited disruption to the pipeline of top AI contributors in the U.S. Strong clusters of expertise, fast iteration cycles, customer proximity, and venture funding keep the market attractive.

Startups hire in small batches. That makes it feasible to prioritize local graduates, candidates already in the U.S., or remote contributors, while reserving high-fee moves for needle-movers.

Action Plan for Executives

• Portfolio your hiring: mix local grads, OPT, O-1, L-1, and offshore contractors to match skill, stage, and budget.
• Set clear triggers: pay premium visa fees only for hires with measurable leverage on product velocity or revenue.
• Pre-qualify O-1 candidates: look for publications, citations, patents, awards, and reputable references.
• Delay relocations until ROI is obvious: keep promising talent remote until they reach higher impact.
• Keep a U.S. core: maintain proximity to customers, partners, and capital while scaling global throughput.

For leaders building AI capability across functions, here's a curated way to upskill teams by role: AI skills by job role.

The Bottom Line

Pipeshift will keep hiring. Higher H-1B fees shift timing and tactics, but they don't stop progress. For executives, the play is simple: diversify talent channels, tie visa spend to stage and impact, and keep your core close to the market.