Trump Extends $100,000 H-1B Fee Requirement for Another Year

US President Donald Trump’s administration has extended for another year the $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B visa petitions, while ordering tighter scrutiny of the programme to protect American workers and address alleged misuse of the visa system.

According to a White House fact sheet, Trump signed an executive order on Friday aimed at strengthening the integrity of the H-1B programme, improving coordination among federal agencies and addressing practices that the administration says have undermined the interests of American workers.

The order directs the Secretaries of State, Labor and Homeland Security to consider whether an employer has recently laid off, or plans to lay off, workers when reviewing H-1B visa applications. The three departments have also been asked to consult with the Commerce and Education Secretaries and the head of the Small Business Administration to gather additional data on wages, industry conditions and specialised employment while administering the programme.

The administration also renewed the $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B visa petitions, which was first imposed on September 19, 2025. The White House said the measure is intended to prevent practices that it believes could adversely affect American employment and national security.

The fact sheet claimed that H-1B registrations by the largest IT outsourcing companies had fallen by 92 per cent since the 2025 order took effect. The administration also argued that the use of lower-paid foreign workers can put downward pressure on wages for skilled American workers.

The White House further alleged that some employers had laid off highly qualified American workers before hiring H-1B employees and pointed to outsourcing practices among some H-1B sponsors. According to the administration, some jobs performed by H-1B workers can eventually be shifted outside the United States.