Story perspectives

Trump Proposes $103,265 H-1B Fee Per Petition

8/24/2026

Left

Trump Proposes H-1B Fee

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration proposed on August 24, 2026 a rule charging employers $103,265 for each new H-1B visa petition.
The fee would raise hiring costs for tech, education and research firms, restricting skilled foreign workers and widening labor-market inequality.
The draft rule was posted in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day comment period.
The Chamber of Commerce, Democratic-led states and unions sued, saying DHS lacks congressional authority.

Right

Trump Proposes Fee

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration proposed on Aug. 24, 2026 a regulation charging $103,265 for each new H-1B visa petition.
The rule is framed as a crackdown on program abuse, protecting American jobs by favoring higher-skill, higher-pay applicants.
A June 2026 federal judge ruled the 2025 temporary $100,000 fee illegal.
The notice would make the $103,265 fee permanent, exclude students and renewals, finalizing by year-end.

Center

Trump Proposes Fee

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration proposed on August 24, 2026 a regulation charging employers $103,265 for each new H-1B visa petition.
The fee would generate revenue earmarked for immigration enforcement, courts and related agencies.
Coverage includes the 85,000-visa cap, with 20,000 slots for master’s degree holders.
Cap-exempt petitions, such as university hires, and students already in the U.S. are exempt.

Blindspot

History

Historical Context

The Immigration Act of 1990, signed by President George H. W. Bush on November 29, 1990 after Senator Ted Kennedy’s sponsorship, introduced the H-1B specialty-worker visa with a 65,000-per-year cap and a $500 filing fee. Today the Trump administration’s 2026 proposal to raise the fee to $103,265 revives the original cost debate, prompting lawsuits from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

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Trump Proposes H-1B Fee

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration proposed on August 24, 2026 a rule charging employers $103,265 for each new H-1B visa petition.
The fee would raise hiring costs for tech, education and research firms, restricting skilled foreign workers and widening labor-market inequality.
The draft rule was posted in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day comment period.
The Chamber of Commerce, Democratic-led states and unions sued, saying DHS lacks congressional authority.

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