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H-1B fees hike: How much real dollars the American taxpayer stands to get after Trump's move?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday which states that all H-1B visa petitions hereon must be accompanied by $100,000.
President Donald Trump, on Friday, overhauled the H-1B visa fee system with an executive order aimed to curb the ‘abuse’ of the program. Now, all H-1B visa petitions must be accompanied by a payment of $100,000.
This is a steep jump from $10,000 – the usual H-1B fee ballpark. Notably, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has now explained that the fee does not have be paid annually. The $100,000 payment will be a one-time thing.
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The staggering increase in fees translates to a higher amount paid to the US government to bring in workers from outside. Here's how much the US taxpayer stands to get in light of the increased H-1B fees.
H-1B fee hike: How much US taxpayers stand to get
H-1B applicants now have to pay the government $100,000 with the petition. Thus, the total amount would depend on the number of applications.
For the fiscal year 2026, the US government has already reached enough petitions to hit the Congressionally mandated cap, as per US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Congress has mandated ‘65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption’. The latter is also known as the master's cap.
This takes the total to 85,000 petitions, and if we take this pattern to hold, then the US government would get around $8.5 billion. This is only if all applicants go through with their visa petitions, and there are no exemptions to the payment rule, as President Trump's proclamation has detailed.
In 2024, 399,395 H-1B visas were approved. Of that, Indians got 71 percent while China received 11.7 percent.
The visa fees, normally would not go to taxpayers, and would instead be funneled into federal programs or schemes. However, Trump has previously teased rebate checks funded by additional revenue. He had once floated the idea of tariff funded rebate checks which would start at $600 for each adult. It remains to be seen if the jump in revenue from the H-1B visa fee change translates to a similar proposal, at least.
‘H-1B abuse is national threat’
The proclamation, signed by Trump, says “The abuse of the H-1B program is also a national security threat. Domestic law enforcement agencies have identified and investigated H-1B-reliant outsourcing companies for engaging in visa fraud, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and other illicit activities to encourage foreign workers to come to the United States.”
“Further, abuses of the H-1B program present a national security threat by discouraging Americans from pursuing careers in science and technology, risking American leadership in these fields,” it adds.
