After fee hike, Trump administration proposes stringent H-1B visa process

The White House had clarified that the new $100,000 fee hike is only meant for new applicants, adding that the move will not impact the current lottery.

The Trump administration has proposed a new and stringent H-1B visa process, a move that comes just days after the US President signed a proclamation raising the application fee to $100,000.

The Trump administration had said that the $100,000 fee would ensure that companies bring in very highly skilled employees to the US, those who are not replaceable by American workers. (AFP)

The proposal, released via a Federal Register notice, would rework the existing H-1B visa selection process to favour high-skilled and better-paid workers.

The Department of Homeland Security formally notified its intent to change the H-1B lottery scheme from a random selection process to a weighted one, inviting the public to participate in the rulemaking by submitting "written data, views, comments, and arguments on all aspects of this proposed rule".

The notice said that if the new process gets finalised, it would give more weightage to applications by employers who pay high wages if annual requests for the visas exceed the statutory limit of 85,000. The move intends to protest Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign employees, the Federal Register notice added.

Last week, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restricting the entry of H-1B visa holders and raising the application fee to a staggering $100,000. The move came as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, as well as the President's "Make America Great Again" and "America First" agendas.

Several confusions and rumours around the H-1B visa fee hike had surfaced, prompting the White House to issue official clarification.

The White House said that the new $100,000 fee hike is only meant for new applicants, adding that the move will not impact the current lottery.

The new proclamation will also not affect the ability of any visa holder to travel in and out of the US.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had also shared a clarification, stating that the $100k mandate is "not an annual fee". She added, "It's a one-time fee that applies only to the petition."

Earlier in the day, HT reported that the US government is considering further changes to the H-1B visa programme, including plans to raise wage eligibility for foreign workers and to prioritise highly paid professionals in the visa lottery. The proposed reforms were floated in an advisory issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

USCIS releases H-1B FAQ

USCIS released a fresh FAQ on H-1B visa, spelling out details and requirements of the new visa mandate brought in by the Trump administration.

It said that the new proclamation "requires a $100,000 payment to accompany any new H-1B visa petitions submitted after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on Sept. 21, 2025."

The H-1B FAQ clarified that the proclamation "does not apply to any previously issued H-1B visas, or any petitions submitted prior to 12:01 am eastern daylight time on Sept. 21, 2025".

The Trump administration's latest move also "does not change any payments or fees required to be submitted in connection with any H-1B renewals".