Trump Makes Major Move On H-1B Visas, Extends $100,000 Fee Requirement

US President Donald Trump has extended a restriction requiring a $100,000 payment for certain H-1B visa petitions for another 12 months, keeping the controversial measure in effect through September 21, 2027.

The White House announced the extension on September 18, 2026, alongside a separate executive order directing federal agencies to strengthen oversight of the H-1B visa programme. The renewed proclamation continues the restriction first introduced in September 2025.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the policy requires employers sponsoring certain H-1B workers who are outside the United States to make the $100,000 payment alongside or in connection with their petitions, subject to limited exceptions where the US government determines that hiring the worker is in the national interest.

The original measure was introduced by Trump in September 2025 and took effect on September 21 of that year. The White House said the requirement was designed to address what the administration described as abuses of the H-1B programme and concerns about the impact of lower-paid foreign labour on American workers.

The latest proclamation states that the restriction will remain in force for another year unless it is extended again. It applies to certain H-1B workers seeking entry into the United States after the new effective date, while providing exceptions that can be granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security on national-interest grounds.

The administration has also introduced additional measures affecting the H-1B programme. Under a separate executive order, the Departments of State, Labor and Homeland Security are directed to coordinate with other federal agencies and consider factors such as an employer’s recent or planned layoffs of similarly situated American workers when processing H-1B applications.

The White House said the $100,000 payment and other reforms are intended to strengthen the programme and give greater priority to highly skilled and highly paid workers. The administration also said the 2025 measure had resulted in significant changes in H-1B filing patterns.

The H-1B programme is widely used by US companies to recruit foreign professionals for specialised jobs, particularly in sectors such as technology. The extension means employers and prospective foreign workers will continue to face the $100,000 requirement for affected applications while the administration pursues broader changes to the programme.