Trump Proposes new $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas

On September 19, President Trump issued an executive order increasing to $100,000 the fee on H-1B visas, a non-immigrant employment-based visa. Such a fee increase is expected to have a significant impact on the ability of employers, including in the healthcare sector, to use this visa category to fill vacant positions.  

The H-1B is designed to allow U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals for "specialty occupations" that typically require a bachelor's degree or higher. Of the 85,000 visas allocated each year under the H-1B program, only about 4 percent are utilized by the healthcare sector. The program’s purpose is to help fill job vacancies that are difficult to fill.

ASCP is concerned about the impact that this fee increase could have on the pathology and laboratory medicine workforce and on our ability to meet patient needs. Such a high application fee would make it difficult, if not impossible, to hire internationals, many of who tend to work in rural or underserved areas. 

ASCP is currently in the process of reviewing President Trump’s order as well as recently released information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has oversight over much of the federal government’s immigration policy portfolio. ASCP will also be in contact with the appropriate federal agencies, including DHS, to clarify potentially conflicting information about the new fee.  For example, ASCP will be seeking clarification of the applicability of the fee to those who are currently in valid H-1B status and the impact it may have on their international travel. The effective date for the new requirement is Sept. 21, 2025.