Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Journalism of Courage
Trump moves to hike H-1B visa fee to over $100,000: What it means for Indians
H-1B visa fee could rise to $103,265 under a new DHS proposal, potentially affecting Indian professionals and US employers hiring skilled foreign workers.
The administration announced the higher fee as a way of preventing foreign workers from taking American jobs. (AI Generated Image)
US President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed hiking the H-1B visa fee for highly skilled foreign workers to over $100,000 and making the charges permanent, escalating a controversial immigration measure that could have major implications for international staff, including Indians, even as US courts continue to hear the matter of whether the increased fee is legal or not.
The fee, proposed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was first temporarily imposed by the Trump administration last year, raising the cost of visas that are heavily relied on in the tech, education and research sectors. The temporary fee hike expires in September, one year after it was levied, Reuters reported.
Court challenge over $100,000 fee
The proposed hike comes as a federal judge in Boston struck down the $100,000 fee the Trump administration imposed on new H-1B visas, ruling that it constituted an unlawful tax Congress never authorised. However, an appeals court is reviewing the legal dispute.
.
World · Immigration · India Focus
H-1B visa fee: from $2,000 to $103,265
The Trump administration wants to make a six-figure H-1B charge permanent. Here's how the cost escalated — and who would, and wouldn't, pay it.
How the cost escalated
Earlier typical government fees
$2,000–$5,000
.
2025 proclamation fee Struck down
$100,000
.
New proposed fee Proposed
$103,265
.
Status
Not final yet — and nothing is payable under it today.
Next step
A 30-day public comment period after the Aug 25 Federal Register notice.
If finalised
The fee would apply to cap-subject H-1B petitions, on top of all other applicable fees.
Who would pay — and who would not
+Would apply
New H-1B petitions subject to the annual cap
Advanced-degree petitions that are still cap-subject
Paid by the sponsoring employer, at filing
–Would not apply
Petitions not subject to the cap
Universities & research organisations (cap-exempt)
Current H-1B renewals — per Reuters
Certain foreign students already in the US — per Reuters
70%+
of H-1B participants are Indian nationals — the group most exposed to the proposed fee.
Not payable yet: the proposal isn't final and sets no start date; the earlier $100,000 fee was struck down by a court, and further legal challenges are expected.
The fee would not apply to H-1B extensions, amendments or transfers for workers already counted against the cap. DHS frames it as a cost-recovery mechanism.
Sources: DHS / USCIS / Federal Register · Fragomen · Newsweek · Reuters · Reddy Neumann. Proposed rule released Aug 24, 2026; a developing story.
.
Trump administration seeks permanent fee
Trump administration has proposed to make the increased fee permanent in its latest rule posted in the Federal Register on Monday. The planned fee hike, as per the new rule by the DHS, would make the H-1B visa fee of $103,265 permanent, and it could be finalised by the end of the year.
What is the H-1B visa programme?
The H-1B visa programme allows US employers to hire foreign workers with training in specialty fields, offering 65,000 visas annually, along with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees.
The H-1B visa is approved for three to six years, Reuters reported. Before the Trump administration imposed the increased cost for the programme, the typical fees for the H-1B visas ranged between $2,000 and $5,000.
Who would be exempt from the fee?
However, the fee would not be applied to visas granted to foreign citizens who are already in the United States on student visas, and they account for a large percentage of new H-1B recipients, or to renewals of current visas.
Story continues below this ad
Employers have already paid the fee
According to court filings, close to 70 employers in the United States have paid the $100,000 fee on a total of 85 visa applications as of February, Reuters reported.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Live Blog
Advertisement