September 23, 2025 2:32pm
Trump Administration Raises Fee for Skilled Worker Visas
POST UPDATED: OCTOBER 20
On Friday, President Trump announced that the fee for an H-1B visa was increasing to $100,000 up from $2,000 to $5,000 previously. This change will apply to new applicants, not renewals or current visa holders.
H-1B visas allow highly skilled foreign professionals to work in specialty occupations that generally require at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree to fulfill the role. Many employers use H-1B workers to fill the gaps in highly technical roles that are not found within the American labor supply.
Companies in the tech and finance sectors rely heavily on these specialized workers, particularly from India and China, whose population accounted for over 80% of visa holders last year. The current annual cap for H-1B visas is 65,000, along with an additional 20,000 visas for foreign professionals with a master鈥檚 degree or doctorate from a U.S. institution.
GLI has been a long-time supporter of these visas and strongly opposes this rate increase which will only hurt businesses that are already struggling to fill vacancies in their companies.
The US Chamber has filed a lawsuit challenging this fee change. The complaint can be.