Us

Trump Imposes $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visa Sponsors, Targeting Outsourcing Firms and Pledging to Protect U.S. Workers

President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation on Friday introducing a $100,000 annual fee for companies sponsoring H-1B visas, a move designed to curb what the administration describes as abuses in the program that displace American workers. The fee, payable by employers for each new H-1B petition, applies for the duration of the initial three-year approval period and supplements existing application costs. According to the White House fact sheet, the measure targets outsourcing firms that have exploited the program to hire lower-paid foreign labor, particularly in information technology roles, where H-1B workers now make up over 65% of the workforce in recent years. The proclamation also directs the Department of Labor to revise prevailing wage levels for H-1B positions and the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize higher-paid applicants, ensuring the program supplements rather than supplants domestic talent. The H-1B visa, established under the Immigration Act of 1990, a...