Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order on September 19 setting a $100,000 annual application fee for H-1B skilled-worker visas.
• Reuters previously reported that filing costs were only a few thousand dollars, indicating a sharp escalation intended to deter employer sponsorship.
• Trump said, “If you don’t want to pay $100,000, hire Americans,” and Commerce Secretary Latonik said the U.S. should stop accepting people who “take our jobs.”
• H-1B status allows specialists in fields such as IT, finance, and medicine to work in the U.S. for up to six years, with about 400,000 visas obtained in FY2024 including renewals, according to immigration authorities cited by NHK.
• Industry observers warn the change could strain tech-reliant employers and affect foreign workers, including Japanese professionals working in the United States.