USCIS Announces $100,000 H-1B Petition Fee for FY2026 Onward
This unprecedented $100,000 H-1B fee dramatically raises the cost of hiring skilled foreign talent, signaling a significantly more restrictive and expensive immigration pathway for employers and prospective visa holders.
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Article Summary
The US government, through USCIS, announced a new $100,000 fee for all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery, as per a presidential proclamation. USCIS clarified this is a one-time fee applicable only to new petitions and does not affect current visa holders or renewals. Further planned reforms include revising prevailing wage levels and prioritizing high-skilled workers in the H-1B lottery system.
Original Article: dailyexcelsior.com
[ Sentiment: negative | Tone: factual ]
This summary and analysis were generated by TheNewsPublisher's editorial AI. This content is for informational purposes only; it does not constitute legal or immigration advice.
[ Sentiment: negative | Tone: factual ]
This summary and analysis were generated by TheNewsPublisher's editorial AI. This content is for informational purposes only; it does not constitute legal or immigration advice.
TNP AI: Key Insights
This new $100,000 H-1B petition fee represents a monumental increase from previous administrative fees, which typically range in the hundreds or low thousands of dollars. For employers, particularly startups and small-to-medium businesses, this could make sponsoring H-1B workers prohibitively expensive, potentially forcing them to reconsider their international talent strategies.
The directive to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid workers, combined with the exorbitant fee, aims to drastically reshape the H-1B program, moving it away from its current lottery-based system towards one focused on a more elite segment of the global workforce. This policy shift will likely face immediate legal challenges and strong opposition from the tech industry and immigration advocacy groups, setting the stage for potential legislative battles or court interventions.
