Trump expected to add new $100,000 fee for H-1B worker visas, White House says

The Republican president was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B visa program unless the application fee is paid, the official said. Trump also planned to order changes to the prevailing-wage levels for the H-1B program as a way to limit their use.

The H-1B program has become critical for technology and staffing companies who rely on foreign workers to fill a variety of technical roles.

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.

Bloomberg News earlier reported Trump’s intention to sign the order regarding H-1B visa applications.

Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, an IT services company that relies extensively on H-1B visa holders, fell over 5% 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 program 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.