President Donald Trump has extended restrictions on the H-1B visa program for another year, continuing a controversial $100,000 payment requirement tied to certain petitions for highly skilled foreign workers.
The White House announced the extension on September 18, keeping the restrictions in place until September 21, 2027.
The H-1B program is widely used by U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations, particularly in technology, engineering and other highly skilled fields.
What Does the $100,000 Requirement Cover?
Under the presidential proclamation, entry into the United States for certain H-1B specialty occupation workers is restricted unless the relevant petition is accompanied or supplemented by a $100,000 payment.
The measure particularly concerns workers who are currently outside the United States.
The proclamation also allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant exceptions when hiring specific workers, groups of workers or workers in an industry is determined to be in the national interest and not a threat to U.S. security or welfare.
Why Did Trump Extend the Policy?
The administration argues that parts of the H-1B system have been abused by employers using foreign workers to replace American employees or suppress wages.
The White House says the higher payment requirement, combined with changes to the H-1B selection process, is intended to discourage lower-wage recruitment while giving greater access to highly skilled and highly paid workers.
The administration also cited unemployment and underemployment among recent U.S. college graduates as part of its justification for extending the restrictions.
Tech Companies Could Feel the Impact
The H-1B program has long played an important role in recruiting international talent for American technology companies.
A $100,000 payment requirement could significantly increase the cost of bringing some foreign professionals into the United States.
Companies may therefore reconsider which positions justify sponsorship, while some could expand hiring outside the United States instead.
Reuters reports that some major users of the visa program have already adjusted their international hiring strategies.
Policy Faces a Legal Battle
The future of the $100,000 requirement is not settled.
A federal judge ruled in June that the fee was unlawful, concluding that it amounted to a tax that had not been authorized by Congress.
The Trump administration appealed that decision, and litigation surrounding the policy continues.
That means the administration’s decision to extend the proclamation does not end the legal dispute over whether the $100,000 requirement can ultimately be enforced.
What Happens Next?
The extension is scheduled to keep the restrictions in place until September 21, 2027, unless another policy or court decision changes the situation.
Employers, foreign professionals and the technology industry will now be watching both the federal courts and the administration closely.
The outcome could have major consequences for how American companies recruit skilled workers from around the world — and for thousands of professionals hoping to build careers in the United States.