Trump administration plans over $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas

The US administration of President Donald Trump has moved to make a controversial $103,265 fee for new H-1B visas permanent, reviving a measure that has been tied up in legal challenges.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the proposed regulation on Monday, beginning a 30-day period for public feedback. The rule could be finalised before the end of the year.

Trump introduced the steep fee through a proclamation last year, significantly increasing the cost for US employers seeking to hire highly skilled foreign workers. The measure has since faced legal challenges, with a federal judge ruling in June that the fee was unlawful and blocking its collection. Appeals against that decision are still pending.

The original presidential proclamation is due to expire in September, but it instructed DHS to pursue regulations that would establish the fee on a permanent basis.

The H-1B programme is widely used by US companies, universities and research institutions to employ foreign professionals in specialised fields. It provides 65,000 visas annually, along with another 20,000 for workers holding advanced degrees, with visas generally valid for three to six years.

The proposed charge would represent a dramatic increase from the fees historically associated with H-1B applications, which have typically totalled around $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the circumstances.

The regulation is likely to face further scrutiny as the administration seeks to formalise the fee while its legality continues to be contested in US courts.