Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration announced plans to add a $103,265 fee for H-1B visas, months after a federal judge voided the US government’s previous attempt to require a $100,000 application fee.

In a proposed regulation posted Monday, the administration said the fee would go toward “recovering” the costs of running the immigration system and would encourage companies to hire American workers and pay them more.

The rule is not final, and the process could take months before it is made official, especially if it faces legal challenges. The public has 30 days to submit comments in response.

H-1B visas allow foreign professionals to seek work in professions that are considered more specialized. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or a similar equivalent, and the visa is valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years.

Economists have argued the program allows US companies to maintain competitiveness and grow their business, creating more jobs. US law allows for 65,000 H-1B visas annually, with another 20,000 reserved for people who hold advanced degrees from American higher education institutions.

The Trump administration has insisted the program is overused and prevents companies from hiring American workers. Vice President JD Vance touted the new proposed fee in a post to X on Monday, writing, “If an American corporation needs workers, it should hire and train Americans.”

The administration’s attempt to impose a hefty fee on the H-1B visas dates to September 2025, when President Donald Trump, seeking to rein in the program, signed an executive action imposing a $100,000 fee. The fee was previously about $3,000.

Trump suffered a legal setback in June when US District Judge Leo Sorokin threw out the fee. The Boston-based judge found that the president lacked authority to impose the new policy and that only Congress had the power to change federal immigration policy to include such a requirement, which Sorokin viewed as a tax.

“The President had no power or delegated authority to impose a tax on H-1B petitions,” wrote Sorokin, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.

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CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.