Here’s Why H-1B Visas Could Get a Lot More Pricey

The Department of Homeland Security wants to charge a $103,000 fee on H-1B visas.

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to establish a $103,265 fee, payable at the time of filing, for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, which would be imposed in addition to all other applicable fees or payments,” the proposed rule summary states. 

“This fee would serve as a dedicated revenue mechanism to help recover a portion of the federal government’s costs of administering the lawful immigration system, including activities carried out by DHS, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of State (DOS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL),” it continues.

There are 85,000 total H-1B visas are doled out annually, and they are intended for work that needs “highly specialized knowledge,” according to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

H-1B visa opponents argue that they encourage companies to opt for cheaper hires from outside the United States, which impacts skilled workers domestically. 

“Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens, while at the same time making it more difficult to attract and retain the highest skilled subset of temporary workers, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields,” President Donald Trump said in a Sept. 2025 proclamation. 

A similar $100,000 fee was nixed by a federal judge in Boston in June after a lawsuit from state-level attorneys general, according to NPR. 

“Every day, thousands of people with H-1B visas serve New Yorkers as doctors, teachers, and other skilled workers,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement at the time. 

“Today a court put an end to this administration’s illegal attempt to destroy this critical program and the many jobs it makes possible. Workers with these visas contribute immensely to our state, and I will keep fighting to stop this administration’s unjust and unlawful attacks on our immigrant communities,” James added. 

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