UNITED States (US) President Donald Trump signed an executive order increasing the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000, a move that could have sweeping consequences for the tech industry, where the visas are widely used.
Trump told reporters while signing the order in the Oval Office on Friday, September 20, that “The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump said.
Trump’s order states that effective Sunday, September 21, applicants will be required to pay the fee, though the Homeland Security secretary may grant exemptions to individuals, specific companies, or entire industries.
“I think it’s going to be tremendously successful,” Trump noted.
The new policy, expected to attract legal battle, was unveiled alongside a $1 million “gold card” residency programme that Trump had teased months earlier.
Trump also authorised a new order establishing an expedited pathway to US residency for individuals who pay $1 million, or for corporations that contribute $2 million as sponsors.
H-1B visas enable companies to hire foreign professionals with specialised expertise such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers to work in the United States for an initial period of three years, with the option to extend up to six years.
Each year, the United States grants 85,000 H-1B visas through a lottery system, with Indians making up roughly three-quarters of the beneficiaries.
Major tech companies depend heavily on Indian workers, whether they relocate permanently to the United States or move between the two countries.
Tech leaders including Elon Musk, once Trump’s ally, have cautioned against restricting H-1B visas, arguing that the US lacked sufficient local talent to meet critical workforce demands in the tech sector.
“All the big companies are on board,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who joined Trump in the Oval Office.
Since his first term, Trump had set his sights on the H-1B programme but was met with litigations. The latest measure marks a new step in the sweeping immigration crackdown of his second term.
The order is set to expire in one year, but Trump retains the authority to extend it.
H-1B visa applications have surged in recent years, reaching their highest approval levels in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden.
By contrast, the highest number of rejections came in 2018, during Trump’s first term.
In 2024, the United States approved about 400,000 H-1B visas, with two-thirds of them being renewals.
The ICIR reported that the US Department of State introduced a new policy for non-immigrant visa applicants, mandating that they book their interviews at the US Embassy or Consulate located in their country of nationality or residence.
The policy was published on September 6, 2025, on the State Department’s official visa portal, stating that it took effect immediately.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.