Trump set to overhaul H-1B visa program with $100,000 application fee

President Donald Trump is poised to sign a proclamation as soon as Friday that would significantly overhaul the H-1B visa program, according to a Bloomberg report.

This would impose a $100,000 application fee in an effort to curb what the administration says is widespread abuse of the system.

The White House official familiar with the plan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the new fee requirement and restrictions on entry will aim to protect American workers displaced by the program, the report said.

Dramatic increase in H-1B visa program fee

The proposed $100,000 fee represents a dramatic increase from the current costs associated with applying for an H-1B visa.

Currently, employers pay a $215 lottery registration fee and a $780 petition fee per H-1B application.

Details remain unclear as to whether this new charge will replace or be in addition to existing fees.

The H-1B program has long been criticised for loopholes that allow staffing and outsourcing firms to submit large numbers of petitions, securing roughly half of the 85,000 annual visas, often for positions paying lower wages than major tech companies.

Move to prevent employers from using foreign workers

Trump plans to direct the Labour Secretary to initiate a rulemaking process to revise prevailing wage levels required by the H-1B program.

This move is intended to prevent employers from using foreign workers as cheap labour to undercut wages paid to American employees, a practice the administration calls a national security threat.

The White House argues that the misuse of the H-1B program suppresses wages and deters Americans from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The overhaul reflects the Trump administration’s latest push to reform immigration policies with particular emphasis on protecting domestic labour markets.

This announcement follows a broader wave of fee increases for work permits, asylum applications, and other immigration services, which are designed to fund the expansion of border security, new detention centres, and the hiring of additional immigration enforcement personnel.

Tech industry braces for impact

The technology industry, which relies heavily on H-1B visas to fill specialist roles, is expected to feel the most significant impact.

Critics say that the current lottery system favours firms that flood applications through middlemen to exploit the program, often at the expense of American workers.

Supporters of the reform believe the new fee and wage revisions will restore the program’s integrity by weeding out abuses and guaranteeing that visas go to highly skilled, fairly compensated workers.

This overhaul adds to ongoing legislative efforts to reform the H-1B program, including bills introduced to raise minimum wage requirements, eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for foreign graduates, and replace the lottery system with a financially weighted selection process.

As the policy unfolds, it is expected to generate intense debate between business groups who rely on international talent and those advocating for stronger protections for the American workforce.

Overall, Trump's new proclamation signals a major shift in U.S. immigration policy aimed at balancing the country’s skilled labour needs with heightened enforcement against exploitative practices in the visa system.

The tech sector’s response and the policy’s long-term outcomes will be closely watched by both industry stakeholders and policymakers.