H-1B fee could cross $200k if Trump’s earlier $100K fee is allowed and the new fee also becomes a rule and if both fees are applicable to the situation of a candidate.
The cost of hiring a foreign skilled worker through the H-1B visa programme could cross $200,000 under a new Trump administration proposal, USA Today reported, combining the earlier proposal of $100K fee and the new proposal of $103,265 fee. The earlier $100,000 payment was imposed through a presidential proclamation signed by President Donald Trump in September 2025. But a federal judge struck down that payment requirement in June 2026, ruling it unlawful.
The $100,000 payment is therefore not currently being collected. It applied to certain H-1B workers entering the US from abroad. The Trump administration has appealed the decision.
The earlier fee got blocked by a court while the new fee is a proposal by the Department of Homeland Security.
The USA Today report said only 85 applicants paid the $100K fee during the first five months before they were blocked in court. Because the number of applicants dropped 87%, the agency collected $28 million less during that period, but.