US Proposes $103,265 Fee on New H-1B Visa Applications

The Donald Trump-led US administration has proposed a regulation to impose a fee of more than USD 100,000 on new H-1B visa applications for highly skilled foreign workers. The proposal, released by the Department of Homeland Security, would raise the fee to USD 103,265, according to a notice posted by the Federal Register on Monday. The fee will be applicable for all H-1B visa cap-subject applications, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, the Department of Homeland Security said. The DHS's new proposal comes a month after a federal appeals court rejected a plea to stay a district judge's order overturning the Trump administration's plan to impose a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications. In September last year, Trump signed a sweeping proclamation to impose a USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas and simultaneously rolled out a USD 1 million “gold card” visa as a pathway to US citizenship for wealthy individuals. The USD 100,000 H-1B fee was subsequently struck down by a federal court, while the “gold card” programme is a separate initiative.