Navigating the New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee: What US. Travelers Need to Know

Donald Trump’s administration has said about the new annual $100,000 fee on H-1B Visa applications, which is a kind of US Visa that helps companies to employ foreign citizens for skilled designations like healthcare, IT, and engineering. H-1B visa travel restrictions affect those who H-1B petitions were files on or/after September 21, 2025 and need the beneficiary to be outside the United States if the petition is filed.

This value could price various healthcare employers out of the IMG labor market, disrupt the established immigration pathways, and slow recruitment of IMGs who disproportionately staff primary care and the medically underserved portions that retain physicians in specific communities.

The proclamation does not allow case-by-case National Interest Exceptions, but some view NIEs as documentary, administrative, and discretionary. The healthcare workers and physicians in these areas are treated as candidates for an NIE based on past observations with other proclamations. However, the US Department of Homeland Security has not announced anything about the NIE exemptions for healthcare workers. Here’s what you need to know:

What is an H-1B Visa?

The H-1B program dates back to 1990 when George HW Bush signed a new bill into law to encourage immigration for experienced workers like educators, scientists, and engineers to address the labor shortage in the particular field. This is a temporary visa that allows employers to petition for Highly Educated foreign professionals to work in Specialty occupations that require a degree as per the H-1B visa policy changes 2025. The US travel advisory for H-1B holders is granted for a starting period of three years and can be extended to a maximum of six years.

There are up to 730,000 H-1B holders in the United States and an additional 550,000 dependents like Children and Spouses. They together make approximately 1.3 million residents as per the 2025 data, an immigration and criminal advocacy group. The cost for an H-1B ranged from about $1,700 to $4,500 based on whether the visa was expedited. Companies pay $215 registration fee to enter, followed by thousands of dollars more in application fees and legal costs when selected.

Know Changes For H-1B Visa Recently Announced By Trump

• H-1B visa policy changes 2025 increased the fee for skilled foreign workers who are applying for the new H-1b visa to $100,000 to claim the visas that were being abused to undercut American wages and outsource jobs.
• Likewise, the new fee came into effect on Sunday.
• The fees for visas are meant to be paid by the companies that sponsor them, not by the individuals applying for the visas as per the rules for H-1B visa travel restrictions.
• Individuals who have an H-1B visa and an approved petition filed before September 21, 2025 are not subject to the new $100,000 H-1B fee on re-entry.
• The Trump administration introduced this fee to encourage companies to hire more American workers.
• US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained at a recent briefing that if someone is really valuable to the company and the country, they will stay.
• Otherwise, the company should hire an American instead.
• He emphasized that the goal of immigration is to ensure that the best talent comes to the US while also supporting American workers.
• The Trump administration announced a new plan to choose new applicants for H-1B visas.
• It allow US companies to hire foreign workers in speciality jobs on Tuesday as per the US travel advisory for H-1B holders due to H-1B visa policy changes 2025.
• The new approach would prioritise those for higher-paying positions if the number of applications exceeds the annual limit of 85,000 visas instead of randomly selecting applications.
• This means that job offers with better salaries would have a better chance of getting approved.
• The impact of H-1B on international travel is that a person do not require to pay the new fee for international travel if they have a valid H-1B Visa.

Which Industries Are Affected?

• Workers in the tech industry are among the largest groups to receive H-1B visas which allow companies to hire foreign employees.
• Recently, an announcement about new $100,000 H-1B fee caused a lot of confusion in the tech sector in places like Silicon Valley where businesses advised their employees to avoid international travel while they sorted things out.
• Many jobs that require specialized skills in science and technology are based on the H-1B program, with about two-thirds of these positions being in computer-related fields as outlines in the US travel advisory for H-1B holders.
• Major companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple were some of the top employers of H-1B visa holders last year.
• Interestingly, several well-known leaders in the tech industry like Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, started their careers as H-1B visa holders themselves.
• In addition to tech roles, employers also use this visa program to bring in teachers and healthcare professionals to work in the United States.

Impact of H-1B Fee On International Travel

Starting September 21, 2025, there will be a new fee of $100,000 for people who apply for H-1B visas for the first time. However, this change won’t affect you when you travel outside the U.S. and come back if you already have an H-1B visa as per the regulations for H-1B visa travel restrictions. Official sources, like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), have confirmed that existing visa holders do not need to pay the new fee due to H-1B visa policy changes 2025. The fee applies only to new applications submitted after the effective date, so those with current visas, or those renewing or extending their visas, won’t be impacted.

The Bottom Line!

The Trump Administration recently announced a new policy that imposes a $100,000 extra $100,000 H-1B fee for new H-1B visa applications and H-1B visa travel restrictions for U.S flyers. This new fee will make it more difficult for healthcare employers to hire international medical graduates and physicians (IMGs), unless they are willing to pay the additional costs. Many healthcare providers, especially in rural and underserved areas, rely on IMGs to help fill shortages in both primary care and specialty services.

This hefty fee could make it extremely difficult for these employers to hire the doctors they need to drive them out of the market for international doctors. This alert from Holland & Knight looks at how this new fee could make it harder for healthcare providers to find and hire IMGs which could create serious challenges for the healthcare system. Looking to gather additional information regarding the new H-1B visa, contact Tourntravelpro at Call Us : +1-866-679-5070 Today!