U.S. President Donald Trump plans to introduce a new $100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas, according to a White House official, in an effort to reduce their use as part of his broader immigration crackdown.
The Republican president was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B visa program unless the application fee is paid, the official said. Trump also planned to order changes to the prevailing-wage levels for the H-1B program as a way to limit their use.
The H-1B program has become critical for technology and staffing companies who rely on foreign workers to fill a variety of technical roles.
Amazon had over 10,000 H-1B visas approved in 2025, while Microsoft and Meta Platforms had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Bloomberg News earlier reported Trump’s intention to sign the order regarding H-1B visa applications.
Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, an IT services company that relies extensively on H-1B visa holders, fell over 5% on Friday.
Critics of the visas, including many American technology workers, argue companies use H-1B visa workers to suppress wages and pass over Americans for jobs they may otherwise be qualified for.
India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7%, according to government data.
The H-1B visa program is reserved for people who are employed in specialty occupations, frequently in the technology field. They can include software engineers, tech program managers and other IT professionals. The H-1B visas are approved for a period of three to six years.
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