Trump’s $100K visa fee alarms foreign workers, US employers

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order raising the fee for skilled foreign worker visas to $100,000, sparking alarm among foreign workers and US employers.

US firms use the H-1B visa program to temporarily hire highly skilled foreign workers in professions requiring specialized expertise, such as architecture, engineering, math, physics, social sciences, medicine, health and education.

The White House said the visa program has been “abused” in recent years.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the fee will apply to new applicants but not to renewals or current visa holders.

Officials also indicated doctors may be exempt from the fee.

- Around 730,000 H-1B visa holders registered in US

Created in 1990, the H-1B visa previously cost around $2,000 to $5,000 per application.

Employers must also certify that foreign workers will not negatively affect wages and working conditions of US employees, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The visa is valid for three years and can be extended to a maximum of six years.

Reports show H-1B recipients fill labor gaps primarily in science, technology, engineering and math professions.

Around 730,000 H-1B visa holders currently live in the US, according to fwd.us, a migrant rights advocacy organization.

Congress caps the number of H-1B visas issued annually at about 65,000, which are allocated through a lottery system. An additional 20,000 visas are available for applicants who earned an advanced degree in the US.

About 400,000 H-1B applications were approved in fiscal year 2024, including new applications, renewals and extensions.

Indian and Chinese nationals ranked highest among applicants, followed by Filipinos, Canadians and South Koreans.

Tech giants are among the largest beneficiaries.

Government data shows Amazon topped the list with more than 10,000 H-1B workers hired in fiscal year 2025.

Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google each hired between 4,000 and 5,500 H-1B visa holders.

Cognizant, JPMorgan Chase, Walmart and Deloitte each employed more than 2,000.

- Losing foreign talent due to fee surge poses risks

Some tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have strongly supported the H-1B visa program, while some Republicans have questioned its value.

“Either the person is very valuable to the company and America, or they are going to depart and the company is going to hire an American,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Friday, defending the fee hike.

“And that’s the point of immigration. Hire Americans and make sure the people coming in are the top, top people. Stop the nonsense,” he added.

Some economists, however, warned that the sharp fee increase could hurt firms’ bottom lines and push them to move operations abroad.

They also raised concerns about a potential brain drain that could weaken the US economy overall.