Trump imposes $100,000 annual fee on skilled worker visas

United States President Donald Trump has signed a broad executive order that imposes a $100,000 annual fee on companies seeking H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, BBC reported on Saturday.

The new policy is set to take effect on September 21, 2025.

“Companies need to decide — is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or should they head home and go hire an American?” said US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“All of the big companies are on board.”

The new fee will apply to all new H-1B visa applications and must be paid annually for up to six years.

According to BBC, the programme, currently capped at 85,000 visas per year, has long been a mainstay for tech firms and startups seeking highly educated foreign talent. Until now, the associated fees totalled approximately $1,500.

Critics, however, say the measure could severely undercut US competitiveness in the global economy, especially in the tech sector.

“This $100,000 as an entry point is going to have a devastating impact,” said Tahmina Watson, an immigration attorney based in Seattle.

Almost everyone’s going to be priced out. Many small or medium-sized companies simply can’t find qualified Americans to do the job.”

The executive order also introduces a new “gold card” system, offering fast-track immigration for certain high-net-worth individuals in exchange for fees starting at £1 million.

Last month, the US introduced a pilot programme requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas. In June, a travel ban restricting entry from 12 nations was announced.