Trump extends 100,000 H-1B visa fee until September 2027

The H-1B visa is a United States non-immigrant work visa for specialty occupations, and President Donald Trump extended a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions until September 21, 2027. The fee was first imposed through a proclamation dated September 19, 2025, and the original expiry date was September 21, 2026.

H-1B Visa Framework

The H-1B category is used by United States employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations that usually require theoretical or technical expertise. The visa is administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes petitions under the immigration framework of the United States.

Fee Order and Legal Status

A federal district court vacated the original $100,000 fee on June 8, 2026, and described it as an unlawful tax. The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit declined in July 2026 to block that ruling, and the fee is currently not enforceable because United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is barred from collecting it.

The extended fee mainly applies to certain new H-1B petitions for workers outside the United States. It does not generally apply to extensions, changes of status, or foreign students already present in the United States.

Related Executive and Regulatory Measures

On September 19, 2026, President Trump issued a separate executive order directing closer scrutiny of H-1B visa applications. The order specifically asks authorities to consider employers’ recent or planned layoffs of United States workers while reviewing applications.

The Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule on August 25, 2026, for a new $103,265 fee for all H-1B cap-subject petitions. If finalised, the proposed fee would apply more broadly than the 2025 proclamation fee.

Important Facts for Exams

• The H-1B visa is a United States non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations.
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services processes H-1B petitions.
• A federal district court vacated the $100,000 fee on June 8, 2026.
• The Department of Homeland Security proposed a $103,265 fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions on August 25, 2026.

Exam Pointers

The H-1B programme is linked to employer-sponsored skilled migration in the United States. The current fee dispute involves a proclamation, a district court ruling, and a proposed rule under the Department of Homeland Security.