US President Donald Trump has extended by another year the $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, which he imposed last year as part of efforts to reduce immigration. The earlier order expires this month, and the extension comes a year after the original decision.
Trump said extending the 2025 order protects America’s national security and economic interests, improves employment opportunities for Americans and ensures companies hire only highly skilled workers. He also said the fee has cut H-1B applications from large IT outsourcing companies by 92 percent.
The fee applies only to those applying from abroad, not to people already in the United States on student visas. Indians make up most H-1B applicants, so India stands to lose the most from the decision. Lawsuits over the fee are being heard in two federal courts.
Trump also signed a second order directing closer scrutiny of H-1B applications and greater coordination among agencies. A White House fact sheet said the order will improve the visa’s integrity and allow deeper checks where Americans could be displaced. It directs the State, Labor and Homeland Security departments to consider recent cases in which Americans were laid off.
The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies welcomed the tougher scrutiny. It cautioned, however, that American innovation must not be harmed, and said Americans may not be immediately available for highly skilled jobs.