Data shows that after the introduction of the $100,000 H-1B application fee policy, the number of new H-1B applications submitted from outside the United States plummeted by 87%, with only 85 employers actually paying the fee
On September 19, 2025, then-President Trump signed an executive proclamation: starting from the early morning of September 21, employers submitting new visa applications for H-1B applicants outside the United States must also pay a mandatory fee of $100,000. Violators will result in the applicant being barred from entry.
The latest data reveals a cold and clear answer. As of now, only 85 employers across the United States have actually paid this fee - those willing to "pick up the tab" can be counted on one hand.
It should be noted that H-1B is inherently a core talent channel relied upon by the US technology, finance, healthcare, and other industries, attracting a vast number of overseas talents throughout the year. However, in the face of this $100,000 threshold, the vast majority of employers have chosen to bypass it rather than pay the fee.
The calculation is not difficult: the regular application cost for an H-1B employee is already high, and when combined with the mandatory six-figure fee, it amounts to a significant sunk cost that must be invested before the hiring decision is made. If the lottery is unsuccessful or the application is rejected, this money will be wasted.
For small and medium-sized enterprises, this expenditure is enough to swallow up more than half of their employment budget for a single position for half a year; even tech giants with substantial financial resources have to re-evaluate the cost-effectiveness of overseas recruitment. The implication of the market voting with its feet is self-evident.
Data shows that since the introduction of this fee, the number of new H-1B applications from outside the United States has experienced a steep decline, with a decrease of up to 87%.
This is no longer a simple case of "demand being suppressed", but rather a near-total halt of the entire channel - the $100,000 threshold not only screens out willing employers, but also effectively cuts off countless overseas talents from the crucial path to the American workplace.
Although the $100,000 fee was successfully blocked, the issue of H-1B visa fees is far from settled.
Just over two months later, on August 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule that suggested a fee of $103,265 for H-1B visa applications subject to quota restrictions.
The new proposal differs significantly from last year's $100,000 executive order. The new rule not only applies to new hires brought in from overseas but also extends to individuals already in the United States with approved H-1B status, including recent graduates and other groups. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that, based on 85,000 applications per year, the fee would generate approximately $8.8 billion annually to cover the administrative costs of managing the federal government's immigration system.
For Chinese students who are currently studying or planning to study in the United States, a harsh reality is accelerating into shape - working in the United States is becoming more difficult than ever.
The annual quota for H-1B visas has been fixed at 85,000 for years, yet the number of applicants keeps hitting new highs, and the odds of being selected are astonishingly low. Even if one is lucky enough to be selected, the subsequent green card waiting list remains a long and exhausting battle. Nowadays, drastic policy fluctuations add to the uncertainty.
Placing all hopes of staying in the United States on the H-1B lottery is no longer an adventure, but a gamble - and the stake is the starting point of one's entire career. The successive tightening of policies at various levels is squeezing the old path of "graduation first, job search second, and lottery third" ever tighter.
Experts in U.S. immigration from Qiaowai stated that whether it is through green card pathways such as EB-1A and NIW, or utilizing the reserved category for EB-5 investment immigration to achieve rapid "identity lock-in", the earlier one starts planning, the more control one can have over policy fluctuations. The path to staying in the United States has never been easy, but with the rules constantly tightening today, the cost of waiting is higher than ever before.
