$100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 2025: Trump’s New Rule, Wage-Based Lottery & Gold Card Explained

In September 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that shocked employers and foreign workers around the world: a new $100,000 application fee for many H-1B visa petitions filed after September 21, 2025. This change, combined with a proposed wage-based H-1B lottery and a high-fee “Gold Card” immigration route, is one of the most aggressive overhauls of U.S. high-skilled immigration in recent history.

In this detailed guide, we will break down what the $100,000 H-1B application fee means, how the wage-based selection system works, what the Gold Card route is, and how all of this fits into Trump’s “America First” immigration policy. We will also look at the impact on Indian IT professionals, tech companies, startups, and U.S. workers.

Quick Overview of the H-1B Visa Program

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant U.S. work visa designed for “specialty occupations” that normally require at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent expertise. Typical H-1B roles include software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, engineers, researchers, financial analysts, and many other high-skill positions. For decades, the H-1B program has been a primary US work visa for Indians and other international professionals.

Each year, demand for new H-1B visas far exceeds the limited annual cap. To allocate visas, the U.S. government uses a lottery system. Under the pre-2025 rules, every properly submitted registration had an equal chance of being picked, regardless of salary level. This is now changing with the proposed H-1B wage-based lottery.

If you want to understand the broader context of U.S. work options, you may also be interested in: Best US Work Visas for Indians and OPT to H-1B Complete Guide.

What Exactly Is the New $100,000 H-1B Application Fee?

The September 2025 proclamation introduces a one-time $100,000 application fee for each new H-1B petition submitted after September 21, 2025. This fee applies to:

• New H-1B petitions filed by employers for foreign workers.
• H-1B petitions linked to the 2026 H-1B visa lottery and later cycles.
• New applicants outside the United States starting from late September 2025.

The administration argues that this steep H-1B application fee increase will discourage what it considers “excessive” or “improper” use of the program, particularly in cases where companies rely on large numbers of lower-paid H-1B workers. By making each petition extremely expensive, the policy aims to filter out employers who are not truly committed to hiring highly skilled, highly paid foreign talent.

Who Is Not Affected by the $100,000 Fee?

The proclamation makes it clear that this fee targets new entries into the program. It does not cover:

• People who already hold a valid H-1B visa.
• Workers currently in H-1B status on previously approved petitions.
• Existing visa holders travelling in and out of the U.S. on valid H-1B visas.

In other words, this is not a retroactive fee. If you are already on an H-1B visa and your petition was filed and approved before the effective date, the new $100,000 charge does not suddenly appear in your life. However, any new petition filed on your behalf, such as by a different employer, may be affected depending on how the government implements the rule.

Why Did the Administration Introduce a $100,000 Fee?

From the administration’s perspective, the H-1B program has been overused and sometimes misused to bring in lower-cost foreign workers for jobs that they believe could be done by U.S. workers. The new fee is part of a broader Trump immigration policy 2025 theme: make it harder and more expensive to use immigration as a cost-cutting tool.

Supporters of the fee say it will:

• Force employers to think carefully before filing an H-1B petition.
• Encourage companies to prioritize high-value, high-impact roles for H-1B sponsorship.
• Reduce bulk filing by outsourcing or staffing firms that flood the H-1B system with large volumes of applications.

Critics, however, argue that such an extreme fee may:

• Push talent and investment to other countries with more accessible immigration systems.
• Make it nearly impossible for startups and smaller employers to compete for global talent.
• Hurt U.S. innovation and long-term economic growth, especially in technology and engineering fields.

Impact on Different Types of Employers

Big Tech and Large Multinationals

For large, cash-rich tech companies, a $100,000 fee per petition is painful but not necessarily impossible. If a specialized AI engineer or chip designer can generate millions of dollars in value, the company may decide that paying the fee is still a rational business decision. In this sense, the new rule pushes H-1B usage toward only the most critical positions.

Startups and Small Businesses

For startups, however, this fee can be devastating. Young companies often operate with limited runway and tight budgets. They may want to sponsor a brilliant foreign engineer or data scientist, but the additional $100,000 cost per petition could make it impossible. As a result, many startups may:

• Rely more heavily on remote teams outside the U.S.
• Shift development to offshore locations.
• Delay or completely drop plans to sponsor H-1B workers.

If you are comparing different U.S. work options for highly skilled workers, check our related guide: H-1B vs EB-2 vs EB-3 Comparison.

Consulting and Outsourcing Firms

Consulting and outsourcing firms that previously filed thousands of H-1B petitions may find this new fee completely unsustainable. The policy appears specifically designed to reduce high-volume, lower-wage use of the H-1B category and push employers to invest more in training U.S. workers.

The Wage-Based H-1B Lottery: From Random to Salary-Driven

Another major change proposed as part of the H-1B visa latest update is a shift from a random lottery to a wage-based lottery system. Under the old system, each valid registration had roughly the same chance of selection, whether the job offered $70,000 or $200,000 per year. Under the new concept, higher wages would receive priority or additional weight in the selection process.

The core idea is simple:

• Jobs with higher offered wages get a better chance of H-1B selection.
• Jobs with lower wages fall to the back of the line or may not be selected at all.

This is meant to target employers using the H-1B program to fill relatively low-paid roles that could be filled by U.S. workers. Instead, the government wants the limited H-1B quota to go to top-tier roles that clearly contribute significant economic value.

However, there are trade-offs. A wage-based system may disadvantage:

• Nonprofits and universities that cannot match private-sector salaries.
• Early-career professionals, including many Indian students on OPT, who naturally start at lower salaries.
• Employers in smaller U.S. cities where salaries are generally lower than in Silicon Valley or New York.

The Department of Homeland Security has opened the door for public comments on these proposed changes, which means employers, industry groups, and individuals can submit formal feedback on the plan.

The Gold Card Route: Paying $1 Million for Faster Immigration

Alongside the $100,000 fee and wage-based lottery changes, the Trump administration is also promoting a high-value “Gold Card” immigration route. Under this concept, foreigners can pay substantial fees, reported to start around $1 million, to receive expedited processing or special immigration benefits.

This resembles “golden visa” or investor programs in other countries, where wealthy individuals can obtain residency or faster immigration by making large financial contributions. The idea is to attract high-net-worth individuals and investors who may create businesses, invest capital, and generate jobs.

Critics, however, argue that combining a million-dollar Gold Card fast lane with a $100,000 H-1B fee sends a clear message: U.S. immigration is increasingly a system where money and salary levels determine access and speed.

“America First” and Protecting U.S. Jobs

All of these changes fit squarely into the “America First” immigration agenda. The stated goal is to tighten immigration, protect U.S. workers, and reduce what the administration sees as unfair competition from lower-cost foreign labor. The key policy levers are:

• A huge H-1B application fee increase to discourage high-volume, low-wage filings.
• A wage-based lottery to prioritize high salaries and highly skilled positions.
• A Gold Card route catering to wealthy individuals and investors.

Supporters believe this will:

• Encourage companies to train and upskill U.S. workers.
• Reduce displacement of Americans in certain roles.
• Ensure only the “best of the best” foreign talent gets access to U.S. jobs.

Opponents argue that the U.S. has historically benefited from being open to global talent and that too many barriers may drive innovation, startups, and even large tech companies to build teams in other countries instead.

How Does This Affect Indian H-1B Aspirants?

For Indian professionals, especially those in IT and engineering, the U.S. has long been the top destination for high-paying tech jobs. A large share of H-1B visas for Indians go to software developers, data engineers, and other tech roles. The new rules present several challenges:

• Employers may sponsor fewer candidates due to the $100,000 cost.
• Recent graduates with lower salaries may struggle to compete in a wage-based lottery.
• Startups that previously hired Indian engineers on H-1B may now look for remote or offshore arrangements instead.

On the other hand, highly experienced Indian professionals with strong profiles and high salary offers may still find opportunities through the H-1B route, especially if they are working on critical technologies like AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, or advanced research.

Practical Steps for Employers

If your company relies on the H-1B program, it’s important to act strategically:

• Reassess hiring plans: Decide which roles are important enough to justify a $100,000 fee.
• Review workforce strategy: Consider a mix of U.S. hires, remote teams, and alternative visa options.
• Budget properly: Include possible H-1B costs in financial planning for the next few years.
• Get legal advice: Work closely with immigration counsel to navigate deadlines and edge cases.
• Submit comments: Participate in the DHS public comment process if you want your views recorded.

You can keep an eye on wider policy directions in our ongoing coverage: USA Immigration News 2025.

Practical Steps for Foreign Workers and Students

If you are a foreign professional or student hoping to work in the U.S., this H-1B visa news 2025 may feel discouraging, but there are still steps you can take:

• Stay informed: Follow updates from DHS, USCIS and reliable immigration resources.
• Build a strong profile: Higher salaries, advanced degrees, rare skills and strong portfolios may help.
• Explore alternatives: Look into other visa categories, employment-based green cards, or opportunities in countries with more stable immigration systems.
• Consult professionals: An experienced immigration attorney can help you understand realistic options based on your profile.

Summary: What This H-1B Overhaul Really Means

The combination of a $100,000 H-1B application fee, a wage-based lottery and a $1 million Gold Card path represents a major shift in how the U.S. manages high-skilled immigration. Instead of a relatively accessible program where the main filter is the annual cap, H-1B and related routes are now moving toward:

• High-cost entry barriers for employers.
• Salary-driven selection, favoring the highest-paid positions.
• Ultra-premium fast lanes for the very wealthy.

For U.S. workers, the impact will depend on how businesses react—whether they invest more in American talent or simply move projects abroad. For foreign professionals, especially those from India, the H-1B route becomes more competitive and expensive, but still possible for top-tier candidates. For policymakers, the long-term question is whether these changes will strengthen America’s economy or unintentionally push talent and innovation elsewhere.

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