U.S. President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Friday, September 19, that would impose a $100,000 application fee on all H-1B visa petitions, a White House official confirmed.
The move represents the administration’s latest effort to restrict immigration, particularly targeting foreign workers seeking employment in the U.S. The steep fee is expected to significantly limit access to the visa program, effectively reserving it for applicants and companies with substantial financial resources.
According to the official, the order will bar entry under the H-1B visa program unless the application fee is paid in full.
The administration has long criticized the H-1B program — which allows hundreds of thousands of skilled foreign workers into the country each year — as a mechanism for companies to undercut American wages by hiring cheaper labor from abroad. Officials argue the fee will help address what they see as labor market distortions caused by the program.
However, critics warn that the proposed fee could have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. technology sector, which relies heavily on H-1B visa holders, particularly from countries like India and China.
“This creates a disincentive to attract the world’s smartest talent to the U.S.,” said Deedy Das, partner at venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “If the U.S. ceases to attract the best talent, it drastically reduces its ability to innovate and grow the economy.”
While large tech companies may be able to absorb the additional costs, the fee could be burdensome for startups and smaller firms that also depend on skilled foreign labor. The $100,000 charge represents a significant increase over the current application costs, which typically range from a few thousand to about $10,000.
Roughly two-thirds of H-1B jobs are in computer-related fields, but the program is also used to bring in engineers, teachers, and healthcare professionals, according to government data.
India remains the top source of H-1B workers, accounting for 71% of approved applications last year. China followed at 11.7%.
In the first half of 2025 alone, Amazon received approvals for more than 10,000 H-1B visas, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms each had over 5,000 approved applications, government records show.
