Trump to impose $100,000 fee for H-1B visas: To whom it applies? How much extra to pay now? Top FAQ answered

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H1-B visas to a whooping $100,000 annually, marking the latest move in his administration’s push to crack down on immigration.

White House staff secretary Will Scharf said the H1-B non-immigrant visa programme is one of the “most abused visa” systems in the country’s current immigration system and the move is aimed at protecting American workers while ensuring that companies have a pathway to hire “truly extraordinary people” and bring them to the United States

“We need workers. We need workers. We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that's what's going to happen,” Trump said, as he signed the proclamation in the Oval Office in the presence of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Here are some key questions answered:

To whom it applies to?

It only applies to those entering the US. The orders says, it will prioritise high-skilled and high-paid aliens. However, there is no clarity on what that means

How the fee structure is changing?

Employers must pay this fee for each H-1B petition. It’s not yet clear if this will replace or be added to existing fees, which already include $215 for the H-1B lottery registration and $780 for the petition filing, along with other charges.

When will it come to effect?

The new rule is effective from Septempber 21, 2025 and valid for 12 months. Decision on renewal of the executive order will happen 30 days after the H-1B lottery

When will it have to be paid?

The order says it's a one time payment. However, there is no wording on whether it's annual payment or includes transfers

What is an H1-B visa?

The H-1B visa programme offers 65,000 visas annually to employers bringing in temporary foreign workers in specialized fields, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees.

Under the current system, entering the lottery for the visa requires a small fee and, if approved, subsequent fees could amount to several thousand dollars.

How companies hired foreign nationals under H1-B programme in 2025?

In the first half of 2025, Amazon.com and its cloud-computing unit, AWS, had received approval for more than 12,000 H-1B visas, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each.

Where Indians stand?

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.