Trump Imposes New $100K Fee on H-1B Visa Applications in Latest Move Against Foreign Workers
U.S. President Donald Trump will on Friday, September 19, sign an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on all H-1B visa applications, according to a White House official.
The move, described as the administration’s latest crackdown on foreign workers, is aimed at limiting applications to individuals from higher financial brackets. Under the order, entry under the H-1B program will only be permitted once the new fee is paid.
Officials argue that the existing H-1B system — which brings in hundreds of thousands of skilled workers annually — allows companies to exploit lower-wage labor, ultimately driving down salaries for U.S. workers.
The steep new fee is expected to significantly affect the technology industry, which depends heavily on skilled talent from India and China.
Adding new fees “creates disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the U.S.,” said Deedy Das, partner at venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, on X. “If the U.S. ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy.”
The $100,000 fee could significantly push up costs for companies. While the new fees may not deter Big Tech, which routinely spends heavily to secure top talent, it could squeeze smaller tech firms and start-ups.
Roughly two-thirds of jobs secured through the program are computer-related, government figures show, but employers also use the visa to bring in engineers, educators and healthcare workers.
India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7%, according to government data.
In the first half of 2025, Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab had more than 10,000 H-1B visas approved, while Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each.
