This month the Trump Administration has announced two massive
changes to the H-1B visa program that will significantly affect
employers and skilled foreign workers. Two changes in particular
deserve close attention: the imposition of a $100,000 fee on
certain H-1B petitions, and a proposed revamp of how the H-1B
lottery is conducted.
$100,000 Visa Fee: What It Covers (and What It
Doesn't)
On September 19, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation
requiring that new H-1B petitions submitted on or after 12:01 a.m.
Eastern Daylight Time, September 21, 2025, include a supplemental
payment of $100,000. The executive order was poorly drafted and
left (and leaves) many questions unanswered about the petitions to
which this fee will ultimately apply. In the days following the
President's announcement, the government has clarified that
the new fee does not apply to: (i) any H-1B petitions filed before
September 21, 2025, even if final adjudication has not yet
occurred;
