US President Trump imposes $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications
PTC News Desk: US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation imposing a new annual $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, a move that will significantly impact Indian workers who make up the majority of beneficiaries.
Announcing the H-1B visa hike, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said companies will now be required to pay $100,000 annually for each visa. “A hundred thousand dollars a year for H-1B visas, and all of the big companies are on board. We’ve spoken to them,” Lutnick said.
Lutnick added that the policy aims to prioritize US graduates: “If you’re going to train somebody, train one of the recent graduates from one of our great universities. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs.”
“The technology sector will support this change — they’re going to be very happy with the new visa fee,” Trump said.
The proclamation marks one of the most significant overhauls to the H-1B program for highly skilled foreign workers since it was established in 1990. At present, applicants pay a small fee to enter the lottery and, if chosen, face additional costs that can reach several thousand dollars—usually covered by employers. The H-1B program, heavily relied upon by US tech firms to hire talent in science, engineering, and mathematics, has long drawn criticism from Trump and his supporters, who argue it suppresses American wages. Official data shows that India accounts for 71% of approved H-1B visas, while China represents 11.7%. These visas are generally issued for three to six years.
Each year, the US grants 85,000 H-1B visas via lottery. Amazon topped the list of approvals this year with over 10,000, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. California has the highest concentration of H-1B workers, according to USCIS.
Critics of the program, particularly some within the American tech workforce, contend that companies use H-1B hires to curb wage growth, overlooking qualified US candidates. This debate continues to divide stakeholders across the tech industry and labor market.
- With inputs from agencies
