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2h ago

U.S. Unveils 'Project Firewall' as Trump Orders $100,000 H-1B Fee

The move signals a coordinated push to prioritize American workers through tougher oversight plus a steep new cost for employers.

US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the Trump administration is standing by the commitment to end practices which leave Americans in the dust.
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Project Firewall initiative by US Department of Labour to regulate H-1B visas and enforce $100,000 petition fee, affecting Indian IT professionals and US tech jobs.

Overview

  • Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will personally certify H-1B investigations for the first time, using authority to act on reasonable cause of noncompliance.
  • Violations flagged under Project Firewall can trigger back-wage recovery, civil money penalties, and temporary debarment from the H-1B program.
  • The Labor Department will coordinate with the DOJ Civil Rights Division, the EEOC, and USCIS to share information and enforce compliance.
  • The actions arrive as Indians account for roughly 70–71% of H-1B approvals, raising concerns about outsized effects on Indian professionals and IT services firms.
  • Analysts and reports say the new fee and enforcement push could raise costs, slow hiring for specialized roles in tech, and have already coincided with reported share declines in some US‑listed Indian IT companies.