What is H-1B Visa: New $100,000 Fee for US Workers Takes Effect in September 2025

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The United States will implement significant changes to the H-1B visa program starting September 21, 2025.

This new policy, announced by the Trump administration, will introduce an annual fee of $100,000 for each H-1B visa application, for both new applicants and renewals.

This measure aims to ensure that foreign workers entering the US are highly skilled individuals and do not displace the domestic workforce.

This change is expected to have a wide-ranging impact, particularly for companies sponsoring foreign workers and international professionals aspiring to work in the US.

This substantial additional fee will alter the landscape of the H-1B visa program, which has long been a vital pathway for global talent across various sectors, particularly technology and STEM.

Joining Trump in the Oval Office on Friday was US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

"A hundred thousand dollars a year for H1-B visas, and all of the big companies are on board," he said. "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."

🚨 BREAKING: By stroke of pen, President Trump raises the H-1B Visa fee from $1,000 to *$100,000,* and directs the Secretary of Labor to revise the wage rules to make it much harder for companies to hire foreigners in replacement of American workers.Massive win. pic.twitter.com/Gl9uybH3tw

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 19, 2025

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the United States designed to allow U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in "specialty occupations."

These jobs typically require highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific field.

This visa is an important pathway for professionals in fields such as architecture, engineering, science, medicine, and technology.

The main characteristics of the H-1B visa include its temporary nature, with an initial duration of up to three years and renewable up to a total of six years.

This visa is also known as a "dual intent" visa, meaning the holder can apply for permanent residence (a green card) while in the U.S.

The U.S. employer must sponsor the foreign worker and file the necessary petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

To qualify, the employee must have a bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field and a valid job offer for the specialty occupation.

Employers, on the other hand, must file a Labor Conditions Application (LCA) with the US Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure that the wages and working conditions of H-1B workers are equivalent to those of US workers.

The H-1B visa program has a strict annual limit on new visas issued each fiscal year.

The current regular limit is 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 visas available specifically for individuals who have earned a master's degree or higher from a US institution of higher education.

Some employers, such as higher education institutions and nonprofit research organizations, are exempt from this limit.

Due to high demand, USCIS uses an electronic registration system and a lottery process to manage applications if the number of applications exceeds the limit.

Employers submit electronic applications for prospective recipients during a designated registration period, which typically occurs in March of each fiscal year.

If an application is selected through the lottery, the employer has a limited time, usually 90 days, to file a complete H-1B petition.

This process ensures that only a limited number of foreign professionals can enter the US each year under the H-1B visa category, making it highly competitive.

On Friday, September 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will impose an annual fee of $100,000 on H-1B visa applications.

This new regulation, titled "RESTRICTION ON ENTRY OF CERTAIN NONIMMIGRANT WORKERS," will take effect on September 21, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time.

This fee will apply to first-time H-1B visa applicants and those renewing their status.

Previously, the H-1B lottery application fee was $215, and the Form I-129 filing fee was $780, or $460 for small employers and nonprofits.

This $100,000 fee will be added to the existing fees and payable annually for the six-year duration of the visa.

The Trump administration stated that this measure aims to ensure that individuals brought to the U.S. are "highly skilled" and do not displace American workers.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained that the fee would discourage companies from using the program to bring in entry-level employees, encouraging them to hire “great engineers” and “very detail-oriented executives” who have high skill sets.

The implementation of a $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visas is expected to have significant impacts.

For employers, companies sponsoring H-1B workers could face significant additional costs.

For example, a company sponsoring 10 H-1B workers annually could face an additional cost of $1 million, potentially making them reconsider H-1B visa sponsorship or limiting opportunities for skilled immigrants.

For immigrants and international workers, the new $100,000 fee could make H-1B visas unaffordable for many professionals, particularly those in STEM fields, early-career workers, recent graduates, and those in lower-paying industries.

It could also make the job market more selective for students hoping to transition from Optional Practical Training (OPT) to H-1B status after graduation.

Under federal law, only Congress has the power to create new visa entry programs and add fees to existing categories.

In addition to the H-1B fee, President Trump also signed an executive order allowing wealthy foreigners to pay $1 million for a "gold card" for US residency.

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2zk4l8g26o

https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations