US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order introducing a $100,000 annual fee for companies applying for H-1B visas on behalf of skilled foreign workers.
The order, which is scheduled to take effect on September 21st, 2025, is said to have originated from concerns over the “abuse” of the visa programme, and thus moves to limit the number of new applicants unless companies are willing to pay the additional fee.
Under the new directive, companies sponsoring an H-1B visa will be required to pay $100,000 per worker annually for up to six years. BBC news reports that US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated, “The company needs to decide… is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American.”
He added that major companies were aware and supportive of the move.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later stated on social media that the fee would be a one-time payment, not an annual payment. However, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson clarified to CBS News that the fee applies only to new applicants entering the 2026 visa lottery from outside the US and not to existing visa holders or those in the 2025 lottery.
“Gold Card” Visa Option Introduced
Understanding the Impact of the H-1B Visa Fee
Also, in a separate order, Trump launched a new visa category, referred to as a “gold card”, which allows certain immigrants to fast-track residency through a payment starting at £1 million. Further details on eligibility criteria have not been disclosed.
Reactions from Tech Industry and Legal Experts
Amazon, one of the largest recipients of H-1B visas, issued an internal advisory urging employees on H-1B visas currently outside the US to return before the order takes effect. According to a Business Insider report, the company advised staff abroad to delay re-entry if they could not return before the September 21st deadline.
Tahmina Watson, an immigration lawyer interviewed by the BBC, said the policy “could be a nail in the coffin” for small and mid-sized companies. “Almost everyone’s going to be priced out,” she said.
Jorge Lopez, head of immigration practice at Littler Mendelson PC, warned the move may damage US competitiveness and push companies to expand operations overseas.
