House bill would exempt health care workers from $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee

House lawmakers March 17 introduced the Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act, a bipartisan bill that would exempt foreign-trained health care workers from the $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee established by a presidential proclamation in September 2025. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga., Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., would also prohibit new H-1B fees that are greater than existing fees from being imposed on health care workers.

"The AHA commends Representatives Lawler, Bishop, Salazar, and Clarke for introducing bipartisan legislation that would help maintain patient access to care in communities nationwide," said AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes. "Specifically, this important bill will maintain critical staffing for areas of the country where there are well-documented shortages of health care workers."

The AHA asked the administration in September 2025 to exempt health care workers from the new fee, saying it would likely prevent many hospitals from using the program and potentially force a reduction in services.