Trump to add $100K fee for H-1B visas in immigration crackdown

President Donald Trump plans to sign a proclamation imposing a $100,000 to apply for an H-1B visa in a bid to crack down on abuse of a program that has been the target of immigration hawks for years.

Trump could sign the proclamation as early as Friday, Bloomberg News reported, citing "a White House official familiar with the matter." The program sees the government allocate almost 90,000 visas per year.

The program overwhelmingly admits Indian applicants, many of whom enter the tech sector. American labor advocates have asserted that it undercuts domestic laborers, who might otherwise secure those positions.

H-1Bs were the subject of a high-profile social media row in late 2024 after now-Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy defended the program, saying it was necessary to make up for a talent shortage in America, which he largely blamed on a culture that valued athletes in high school over nerds.

That row saw Ramaswamy earn considerable blow back, with Vice President JD Vance weighing in against the H-1B program. 

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.