WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has extended an executive order that would impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B non-immigrant visas for another year, the White House said Friday.
The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers, including professionals in the technology sector and other specialised fields, for employment in the United States.
Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration crackdown and has repeatedly criticised the H-1B programme. His administration has sought to permanently increase the fee from between $2,000 and $5,000 to at least $100,000, but the measure has faced legal challenges.
Courts review H-1B fee increase
A Boston-based appeals court is reviewing a June ruling by a federal judge who found the higher fee imposed by the Trump administration unlawful and blocked the government from collecting it.
Another court is considering whether a judge properly rejected a challenge to the fee brought by the US Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business lobbying organisation.
Trump’s original order imposing the higher fee was issued in September 2025 and was due to expire this month. The extension keeps the measure in place while legal challenges continue.
The original order did not apply to visas granted to foreign nationals already in the United States on student visas, who account for a significant share of new H-1B recipients. It also did not apply to renewals of existing H-1B visas.
Trump Administration Proposes $103,265 Fee for New H-1B Visas
Businesses warn of impact on skilled hiring
The H-1B programme has faced criticism from some groups who argue that companies use the visas to hire foreign workers at lower salaries instead of American workers.
Business groups and companies, however, say the programme is important for recruiting highly skilled professionals and addressing shortages of qualified workers in certain industries.
Created by Congress in 1990, the H-1B visa programme has become particularly important for US technology companies recruiting specialised workers from countries including India and China.
Changes to the screening and processing of potential H-1B workers have already affected some companies’ hiring and expansion plans.
Some major H-1B users, including Alphabet, Google’s parent company, have moved to expand operations in India amid changes affecting the programme.
The latest extension comes as courts continue to assess whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to impose the substantially higher H-1B visa fee.
