U.S. H-1B Visa Fee Raised to $100,000, Permanent Residency Application Fee at $1 Million

U.S. flag and U.S. H-1B Visa application form 

[People News] The White House said over the past weekend that the new fee standard for U.S. H-1B visas took effect on Sunday (September 21). This standard only applies to newly submitted H-1B applications; existing visa holders will not be charged this fee upon reentry.

According to a report by Voice of America, President Donald Trump announced a new plan Friday evening targeting special technology visas. A one-time fee of $100,000 will be charged for any newly submitted H-1B visa application, while the “Gold Card” permanent residency application fee will be $1 million.

To help American workers, the President announced Friday evening that new H-1B visa applications would be charged $100,000. The H-1B visa is mainly used by foreign-born employees. The Trump administration said that tech companies had exploited the previous system.

The U.S. government stated that under the new system, only top high-tech talent would be worth this price, which would provide more opportunities for domestic workers. “We are bringing in talent, and in many cases, these people are very successful, instead of what’s happening now—crossing the border,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office.

In addition, Trump signed an executive order to establish a “Gold Card” for foreigners paying $1 million to permanently reside in the United States. It is similar to a residence document, namely the so-called “green card.” He said the fee would ensure that only the best talent could obtain the card, comparing it to signing bonuses paid by companies, like those sometimes given in professional sports.

“I hope this brings some outstanding talent to our country,” Trump said. “That way, companies—somewhat like signing bonuses in baseball or football—can keep them in the U.S.”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt posted on X Saturday: “This is not an annual fee but a one-time fee, applicable only to applications.”

These measures are part of the President’s strategy to give American citizens an advantage over foreign workers in securing domestic jobs. They are also part of a broader plan aimed at mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and ending the policy allowing asylum seekers to enter while their cases are under review.

In August, the U.S. State Department announced that under a new plan, visa holders would be required to pay a $15,000 security deposit.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick jointly announced with the President at the White House Friday that the U.S. issues 281,000 green cards annually. These individuals have an average annual income of $66,000 and often rely on public assistance. He said charging a Gold Card fee would ensure that only the best talent could obtain permanent residency.

The federal government issues 85,000 H-1B visas each year, mainly for tech jobs. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that for the next fiscal year beginning October 1, the agency had already received a sufficient number of applications.

According to the agency, Amazon has been approved for more than 10,000 H-1B visas this year, while Microsoft and Meta have each been approved for more than 5,000.

The H-1B visa program is for people engaged in specialized occupations, usually in the tech industry, such as software engineers and other IT professionals. The visas are valid for three to six years.

According to government data, in 2024, Indian citizens received the largest number of H-1B visas, accounting for 71% of approvals, with China second at 11.7%.

Critics of the previous visa system, including some American tech workers, said that companies used H-1B visa workers to suppress wages and bypass Americans, preventing them from obtaining high-paying jobs.

In his announcement, President Trump stated: “The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was established to bring temporary workers into the U.S. for additional high-skill jobs, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace American workers with low-wage, low-skill labor instead of supplementing them. Through systemic abuse of this program, American workers have been displaced on a massive scale, harming our economy and national security.” △