White House proclamation renews $100,000 H-1B visa fee; executive order further scrutinizes employers

The White House issued a presidential proclamation Sept. 18 renewing the $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions for individuals entering the U.S., initially levied in September 2025. The fee, currently blocked by a court order, was vacated by a district court in June and is pending appeal. The AHA had asked the administration last year to make healthcare personnel exempt from the fee. The Sept. 18 proclamation to renew the fee extends it for an additional year. The administration also issued an executive order that would further scrutinize companies seeking to hire H-1B workers, particularly organizations that directly or indirectly had layoffs within the previous year or plans future layoffs impacting U.S. workers. The renewal of the $100,000 H-1B fee is separate from the Department of Homeland Security's proposed $103,265 filing fee for H-1B visa petitions that are subject to statutory numerical caps.