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1 1 (November 26, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govesvh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: New H-1B Fee and Other Recent H-1B Developments November 26, 2025 The Trump Administration recently announced several policy changes affecting the H-1B program. The program allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers for specialty occupation positions (i.e., requiring specialized knowledge and a college degree). Presidential Proclamation President Trump issued a proclamation on September 19, 2025, restricting the entry of new H-1B workers unless sponsoring employers first pay a $100,000 fee. The proclamation is based on the President's authority to either suspend entry to the United States or impose entry restrictions that he may deem to be appropriate. The proclamation cites abuse of the H-lB program leading to displacement of U.S. workers and threats to national and economic security. The $100,000 fee is paid to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in addition to already existing fees employers pay USCIS, which range from $960 to $7,380 for initial H-1B petitions depending on the firm's size, type, and number ofH-lB employees. USCIS has clarified that the $100,000 fee applies only to new petitions filed after September 20, 2025, for H-lB workers abroad. Existing H-lB visas, renewals, and petitions to change to H-lB status without leaving the United States (e.g., from F-I student to H-1B) are generally not subject to it. Changes of status account for about half of new H-IB petition approvals annually. The fee does not prevent current H-lB visa holders from traveling in and out of the United States, nor does it revoke any H-IB visas. The proclamation allows the DHS Secretary to make exceptions for individuals, companies, or industries when it is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States. Some observers see the new fee as a first step toward more substantive reform. Stakeholders have expressed concerns that the fee will hinder their ability to recruit workers for hard-to-fill positions. Medical associations and higher education groups, for example, have requested exemptions, arguing that H-IB workers provide services critical to the national interest, including health care in medically underserved areas and preparing students to work in high-demand fields. The U.S. Chamber of Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12617 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress