Article Summary

The Trump administration launched 'Project Firewall,' an H-1B enforcement initiative, alongside a proclamation requiring a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications to prioritize American workers. The Department of Labor reiterated its 'hire American' directive, emphasizing efforts to eliminate fraud and abuse in the program. Additionally, the USCIS proposed a rule to weight H-1B applications based on wage level, favoring higher-paid applicants.

TNP AI: Key Insights

This article highlights a significant escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to reform the H-1B program, moving from rhetoric to concrete policy. The introduction of 'Project Firewall' and the proposed $100,000 fee, alongside a shift to wage-based application weighting, represent a substantial departure from previous H-1B policies, fundamentally altering the program's accessibility and cost structure.

For employers, these measures imply increased compliance burdens, higher operational costs, and a narrowing pool of eligible H-1B candidates, potentially pushing them to re-evaluate international hiring strategies. For skilled professionals, particularly those earning lower wages, these changes create immense uncertainty and heighten competition, underscoring a policy environment increasingly hostile to foreign talent.