Here's everything Trump is changing with H-1B visas

In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump has announced an increase in the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000, leaving businesses in a state of uncertainty. This new fee structure, effective immediately, requires companies to provide documentation of the payment prior to submitting an H-1B petition for their employees. Previously, the cost for H-1B applications varied between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the company's size. As of Sunday, the new financial barrier will apply only to new applicants, while renewals and existing visa holders are exempt from this fee, as clarified by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. The implementation of this fee introduces a 12-month waiting period for new applicants until the payment is completed. Importantly, those already holding H-1B visas outside the United States will not be affected by this charge when seeking re-entry. This one-time fee aims to streamline the application process, although exceptions may be granted for immigrants whose employment is essential to national interests, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It is also noted that employees on B visas with start dates before October 2026 will receive further instructions to prevent misuse of temporary business visas as alternatives to H-1B visas. The H-1B visa program is critical for employers seeking highly skilled foreign professionals in specialized fields, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) sectors. Many companies, especially within tech and finance, rely on H-1B workers to fill roles that are difficult to source domestically. Last year, a significant portion of H-1B visa holders came from India (71%) and China (11.7%). Currently, there is an annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas, along with an additional 20,000 allocated for foreign graduates holding advanced degrees from U.S. institutions. A lottery system is employed to select petitions when demand surpasses this cap. Since 2012, over 60% of approved H-1B workers have been employed in computer-related jobs, according to data from Pew Research. Leading the charge, Amazon sponsored over 10,000 H-1B applicants in the fiscal year 2025, with Microsoft and Meta each supporting over 5,000. Apple and Google also featured prominently, with more than 4,000 approvals each, illustrating the significant reliance of these companies on skilled immigrants to meet their workforce needs.