The U.S. government recently announced a significant change to the H-1B visa program that impacts employers who rely on skilled international talent. Beginning September 21, 2025, employers filing new H-1B petitions must pay a $100,000 government fee with their application.
Employers, Here’s what the Updated H-1B Visa Fee means for you and your teams:
Key Points at a Glance
- The $100K fee applies only to new H-1B petitions filed on or after Sept. 21, 2025.
- Existing H-1B employees and renewals/extensions are not affected.
- Petitions filed before Sept. 21 are not subject to this new cost.
- This is a major cost increase compared to previous filing fees (which were only in the thousands).
- The government’s stated goal is to limit misuse of the program and prioritize the highest-skilled, highest-paid roles.
What This Means for Employers
- Budgeting: Bringing on new H-1B workers will now come with a steep additional cost.
- Workforce planning: Employers may become more selective in which roles they sponsor, focusing on critical or hard-to-fill positions.
- Timing matters: If you have candidates in your pipeline, filing before Sept. 21 avoids the new fee.
- Compliance monitoring: Employers will need to stay close to policy updates and USCIS guidance as this new rule evolves.
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