Trump administration seeks to formalise H-1B fee of more than $100,000

What the report says

The Trump administration has proposed a new rule that would make permanent a controversial fee on H-1B work visa applications, setting the charge at $103,265. The proposal was published in the US Federal Register and would move to a 30-day public comment period before any final decision by the Department of Homeland Security. If adopted, it would sharply raise the cost of a visa programme widely used by employers in technology, education and research.

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that President Donald Trump first imposed a temporary $100,000 fee last year, but courts blocked the policy. The temporary order is due to expire in September, and the new DHS rule is intended to replace it. In June, a federal judge ruled the fee unlawful, and related appeals and other court challenges are still under way.

The H-1B programme lets US employers hire foreign workers in specialty fields and is capped annually. Critics of the visa system, including Trump, argue it can be used to displace American workers with cheaper labour. Business groups and many employers say it remains necessary to fill skilled jobs that are hard to staff domestically and to attract global talent.

The fee proposal is part of a broader immigration crackdown that also includes tighter vetting and other visa-related changes. The legal fight matters because it could affect how US companies recruit highly skilled foreign workers and how far the executive branch can go in setting immigration-related fees.