Written by Howard Hughes
Trump imposes US$100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applicants.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will add a US$100,000 per year fee for applicants to the H-1B visa program aimed at bringing in skilled workers from abroad into certain industries.
The proclamation mentions “abuse” of the program and will restrict entry unless payment is made.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Friday (9/19/25) that, “A hundred thousand dollars a year for H1-B visas, and all of the big companies are on board,” “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.”
Critics of the program have long argued that H-1Bs undercut the American workforce, while proponents, including billionaire Elon Musk, argue that it allows the US to attract top talent from around the world.
A separate order is expected to call for a review of minimum wage requirements for those under the scheme.
Since 2004, the number of H-1B applications has been capped at 85,000 per year.
While H-1B fees are subject to change and depend on the size of the employer, they currently include a $215 registration fee and another $780 fee for filing a form known as the I-129 required for larger employers.
There is also a $500 fraud prevention and detection fee.
Companies often spend tens of thousands of dollars each year for visas.
Amazon, followed by tech giants, Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google are the biggest beneficiaries.