Trump moves to lock in $103,265 H-1B visa fee despite court block
What's next: The Homeland Security rule could be finalized by year-end, and fresh legal challenges are likely once it is complete.
The Trump administration has proposed making permanent a $103,265 fee on new H-1B visas, a sharp increase from the roughly $2,000 to $5,000 employers previously paid. The Department of Homeland Security posted the rule in the Federal Register on Aug. 24 after a federal judge in June blocked the temporary version as illegal. The H-1B program issues 65,000 visas a year, plus 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees. The new fee would not apply to renewals or to many recipients already in the United States on student visas. The US Chamber of Commerce, Democratic-led states, unions and employers are already fighting the policy in court.