Overview

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B applications, and an official said the president is expected to sign the decree on Friday.
• The text of the measure, as described by a White House official, frames the fee as a response to misuse of the program and would restrict entry under H-1B unless the payment is made.
• The president also plans to instruct the Labor Department to begin rulemaking to revise H-1B wage levels, according to the report.
• H-1B grants total roughly 85,000 visas annually, and current charges include a $215 lottery registration, a $780 petition fee, and a $500 anti-fraud fee.
• The step is the latest in a broader tightening of visa policy in 2025, following a pending $250 nonimmigrant Visa Integrity Fee and a State Department refundable bond pilot for select visitors.