Specifically, President Donald Trump has announced a major increase to H-1B visa fees. The new cost will be a single payment of $100,000. In perhaps the biggest news, this announcement ushers in a significant shift in policy regarding the fee waiver structure. Before this change, the employer’s application fee had been $2,000–$5,000 depending on their size. The new fee goes into effect for applications for new H-1B visas filed after XXX.
The adjustment in fees comes amidst ongoing discussions about the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. The extension of the program provides an important lifeline for thousands of companies in these technology and innovation-based industries. It offers an annual ceiling of 65,000 visas, plus an additional 20,000 for foreign specialists who earn a master’s degree or PhD from a U.S. school.
Impacts of the Fee Increase
These unprecedented fee increases are likely to have sweeping effects on employers and applicants alike. The new requirement to make a $100,000 payment will be phased in on all new visa applications. Additionally, applicants with a pending petition will be barred for 12 months from the date of payment. This recent change would dissuade aspiring applicants and make more challenging the recruitment efforts of companies that rely on H-1B labor.
Indeed in the past, nearly half of all approved H-1Bs have gone into computer-related occupations. In reality, over 60% of such visa holders are employed in that sector. Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta (formerly Facebook) have become the top three employers of H-1B workers. Perhaps most prominently, Amazon has been leading the charge, having sponsored more than 10,000 applicants just in fiscal year 2025 so far. These firms would be severely limited without H-1B workers, who fill important gaps in their workforces. The increased fee could force them to reconsider their hiring practices.
Visa Holders and Future Applicants
Thanks to the new regulations, foreign professionals on H-1B visas will no longer be required to shell out that cash when returning to the United States. This includes individuals who may be temporarily abroad at present. This high application fee is an enormous financial barrier. This barrier would effectively limit access for hundreds of thousands of potential applicants, most notably from India and China—countries that accounted for 71% and 11.7% of H-1B visa holders last year, respectively.
Businesses are meeting their growing demand for technical occupations that are difficult to obtain in the U.S. labor market by relying more on H-1B workers. The impacts of this fee increase would reach far beyond the short-term cost to individual applicants. Some employers will even struggle to recruit the talent they need, thus hampering those employers’ operational capacity and future growth potential.