Trump expected to add new $100,000 fee for H-1B worker visas, White House says
US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
Bonnie Cash | Bloomberg | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to introduce a new $100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas, according to a White House official, in an effort to reduce their use as part of his broader immigration crackdown.
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 U.S. 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.
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