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Trump to add $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications amid immigration crackdown
The US President was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B visa programme unless the application fee is paid
- PUBLISHED: Fri 19 Sept 2025, 11:42 PM
US President Donald Trump plans to introduce a new $100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas in an effort to reduce their use as part of his broader immigration crackdown, a White House official said.
The Republican president was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B visa programme unless the application fee is paid, the official said, according to Bloomberg. Trump also planned to order changes to the prevailing-wage levels for the H-1B program as a way to limit their use, the official said.
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The H-1B programme has become critical for technology and staffing companies who rely on foreign workers to fill a variety of technical roles.
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Amazon had over 10,000 H-1B visas approved in 2025, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, an IT services company that relies extensively on H-1B visa holders, fell over 5 per cent on Friday.
Critics of the visas, including many American technology workers, argue companies use H-1B visa workers to suppress wages and pass over Americans for jobs they may otherwise be qualified for.
India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7%, according to government data.
The H-1B visa programme is reserved for people who are employed in specialty occupations, frequently in the technology field. They can include software engineers, tech program managers and other IT professionals. The H-1B visas are approved for a period of three to six years.