Trump extends $100,000 H-1B visa fee push by another year

US President Donald Trump has extended an executive order that would impose a $100,000 H-1B visa fee by another year, the White House said on Friday. His original order, first released in September 2025, was set to expire this month.

What is Trump's H-1B visa fee plan?

Trump wants to permanently raise the H-1B visa fee from between $2,000 and $5,000 to at least $100,000. The plan has faced legal challenges, and a federal judge deemed the higher fee illegal in June and blocked the government from collecting it.

Trump, who has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown, has criticized the program. A Boston-based appeals court is reviewing the June decision by the federal judge. Another court is considering whether a judge properly rejected a challenge to the fee by the US Chamber of Commerce, the largest US business lobbying group.

Who does the H-1B visa fee apply to?

US employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers can use the federal government's H-1B visa program for a fee, allowing tech and other professionals from abroad to work in the United States for a few years. Congress established the visas in 1990, and they are especially critical for tech companies seeking to recruit from India and China.

Trump's initial order did not apply to visas granted to foreign citizens already in the United States on student visas, who make up a large share of new H-1B recipients. It also did not apply to renewals of current visas.

Some critics say companies use the visas to hire lower-paid foreign workers instead of Americans. Business groups and companies say the visas help recruit highly skilled professionals and address a lack of qualified US workers in some industries.

Changes to how potential visa holders are scrutinized and processed have affected companies' hiring and expansion plans. Some top H-1B users, such as Google parent company Alphabet, are moving to increase operations in India.