President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation increasing the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000, a move set to reshape how U.S. companies access foreign talent.
The new cost, announced Friday, comes on top of existing H-1B visa fees usually borne by employers. It represents one of the steepest immigration-related financial barriers ever introduced, targeting firms that depend on global workers for specialised roles.
“We need workers, we need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s going to happen,” Trump said at the signing.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the hike as a measure to force employers to prioritise hiring Americans. “Stop bringing in people to take our jobs, that’s our policy here. All of the big companies are on board. We’ve spoken to them about the gold card and this,” Lutnick said.
The H-1B visa program is widely used by technology companies, financial services, and other specialised industries to fill skill gaps. With the new fee, analysts expect a major slowdown in applications, which could hit international workers hoping to enter the U.S. job market.
Under current rules, H-1B visas are valid for three years, extendable to six, but they remain unavailable to lawful permanent residents.
In addition to the fee increase, Trump’s proclamation instructs Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to start revising prevailing wage levels tied to H-1B employment, according to Bloomberg.
The latest change underscores the administration’s broader stance on immigration: tighten access, raise costs, and steer opportunities toward domestic workers.
