Trump expected to impose US$100,000 fee on H-1B visas, report says
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump plans to introduce a new US$100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas as part of his broader immigration crackdown, Bloomberg News reported on Friday (Sep 19).
Bloomberg cited a White House official familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
According to the report, Trump was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B programme unless the application fee is paid. He also planned to order changes to prevailing wage levels for H-1B visas to further limit their use.
IMPACT ON TECH SECTOR
The H-1B programme is widely used by technology and staffing companies to fill specialised technical roles. Amazon had more than 10,000 H-1B visas approved in 2025, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms each had over 5,000 approvals, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions, an IT services company heavily reliant on H-1B workers, fell more than 5 per cent on Friday.
CRITICS AND BENEFICIARIES
Critics of the visas, including US technology workers, argue that firms use H-1B hires to suppress wages and overlook American applicants.
India is by far the largest beneficiary of the programme, accounting for 71 per cent of approvals last year, followed by China with 11.7 per cent, according to government data.
The visas, which are valid for three to six years, are reserved for people employed in speciality occupations, typically in technology. These include software engineers, programme managers and other IT professionals.
