Trump signs $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a presidential proclamation that will require employers to include a payment of 100,000 with new H1B visa petitions, a dramatic change to the United States high skilled worker program that the administration says is intended to curb abuse and protect American jobs. The order was announced in the Oval Office and the White House said it takes effect on September 21, applying to petitions filed in the upcoming lottery cycle.

The administration framed the fee as a tool to limit the use of H1B visas for lower paid or routine work and to prioritize only the most highly skilled entrants. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who joined the president at the signing, said companies would have to decide whether a foreign hire was “very valuable to the company and America,” adding that the policy would encourage firms to “train Americans.” A White House fact sheet asserted that H1B use has been abused and linked the change to national security and labor market concerns.

The proclamation arrived alongside a separate proposal for an investor or “gold card” visa, which would create an expedited residency path for applicants paying 1 million individually or...