US H-1B visa fee proposal

Notes

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new fee of $103,265 for all H-1B visa cap-subject applications.
• The fee is intended as a standalone, additional charge separate from existing H-1B petition fees.
• The proposal aims to recover interagency costs and improve the tracking, allocation, and reporting of associated revenue.
• The fee applies to cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, but excludes cap-exempt filings.
• The current annual H-1B cap is 65,000 for the regular category and 20,000 for the Master’s cap (workers with a Master’s degree or higher from a U.S. college).
• This proposal follows a previous legal challenge where a federal appeals court rejected a stay on a district judge’s order that had overturned a similar $100,000 fee proposal.

Part of a longer story

This is day 3 of 4 in U.S. student and work visa policy reforms, which has been running since 17 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• Trump administration visa fee proposal Before
• Nasscom response to U.S. H-1B visa fee hike After
• The whole story 4 entries