On Friday, September 19, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing a significant change in U.S. immigration policy by imposing an annual fee of $100,000 on H-1B visa applicants. This move targets foreign workers seeking highly specialized jobs in the United States and represents a major tightening of the visa program that many corporations in the technology sector and other industries rely on. The new policy is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 21, 2025, with the fee requirement lasting for 12 months unless extended.
The H-1B visa is designed for specialty occupation workers—often in fields such as information technology, engineering, and sciences—allowing qualified foreigners to work legally in the U.S. Many of these visas are sponsored by American companies, with a substantial proportion granted to Indian nationals, especially in the tech industry. The Trump administration stated that the $100,000 fee would ensure that only truly highly skilled and irreplaceable foreign workers benefit from this visa category, addressing longstanding concerns about the misuse and abuse of the program.
According to the official proclamation, the Secretary of Homeland Security will restrict decisions on H-1B petitions that do not include the new $100,000 payment. Additionally, guidance will be issued to prevent misuse of B visas by beneficiaries of approved H-1B petitions who plan to start employment prior to October 1, 2026. These policies aim to protect American workers by discouraging companies from replacing domestic labor with cheaper foreign labor through H-1B visas.
Besides the H-1B fee, the proclamation also introduced an executive order for a “gold card” visa program, targeting high net worth individuals and businesses with fees of $1 million and $2 million respectively. This is part of a broader administrative effort to reform immigration policies to prioritize economic benefit and national security.
The announcement met immediate reactions globally given the H-1B visa program’s importance to U.S. industries such as Silicon Valley tech firms, which depend on international talent. Critics argue that the high fee might significantly reduce the inflow of skilled professionals, impacting innovation and economic growth, while supporters claim it will protect American jobs and prevent exploitation within the immigration system.
This proclamation comes amid a series of policy changes under the Trump administration aimed at limiting immigration and reforming visa programs viewed as prone to abuse. The fee and restrictions will initially last for 12 months but may be subject to review and extension based on policy outcomes and political considerations.