Trump Implements $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visa Applicants

Sat Oct 18 2025 17:34:38 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a controversial move, President Trump has introduced a significant fee for the H-1B visa program aimed at skilled workers, citing concerns over job competition and program abuse.

US President Donald Trump has announced an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, a program intended to attract skilled workers. This decision has sparked debate, with critics arguing that it may hinder American competitiveness and small businesses while supporters claim it is necessary to protect American jobs.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will add a $100,000 (£74,000) fee for applicants to the H-1B visa programme aimed at bringing in skilled workers from abroad into certain industries.

The proclamation mentions 'abuse' of the programme and will restrict entry unless payment is made. Critics of the programme have long argued that H-1Bs undercut the American workforce, while supporters - including billionaire Elon Musk - argue it allows the US to attract top talent from around the world.

In another order, Trump set up a new 'gold card' to fast-track visas for certain immigrants in exchange for fees starting at £1m.

Joining Trump in the Oval Office on Friday was US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 'A hundred thousand dollars a year for H1-B visas, and all of the big companies are on board,' he said. 'We've spoken to them.'

'If you're going to train somebody, you're going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs.'

Since 2004, the number of H-1B applications has been capped at 85,000 per year. Until now, H-1B visas have carried various administrative fees totalling around $1,500.

Data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows that applications for H-1B visas for the next fiscal year fell to about 359,000 - a four-year low. The greatest beneficiary of the programme the previous fiscal year was Amazon, followed by tech giants Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google, according to government statistics.

Tahmina Watson, a founding attorney at Watson Immigration Law, noted that the ruling could be a 'nail in the coffin' for many of her clients, mostly small businesses and start-ups. 'Almost everyone's going to be priced out. This $100,000 as an entry point is going to have a devastating impact,' she said.

Further opinions from industry professionals indicate that the fee will likely hamper US competitiveness in various sectors.

The ongoing debate over the H-1B visa program continues to highlight divisions within Trump's administration, as well as broader concerns about the future of US immigration policy.