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The $100,000 fee for H-1Bs is causing all sorts of problems

The Verge / 3/15/2026

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Key Points

  • The executive order raised the H-1B visa filing fee to $100,000, triggering near-immediate chaos in the immigration process.
  • Thousands of workers who flew overseas to renew their visas were stranded, highlighting tangible disruptions to the global workforce.
  • Six months after the move, the initial disorder has subsided, but it remains unclear how the new rules will affect hiring, immigration, and the tech workforce.
  • With the new H-1B registration season underway, experts warn the policy could still reshape access to skilled labor and hiring dynamics.

Last fall, President Donald Trump's executive order raising the fee for H-1B visas to $100,000 - like many of his immigration policies - led to near-immediate chaos. Thousands of workers who had flown overseas to renew their visas ended up stranded abroad. Details about who would be affected only emerged after the fact. Six months later, the disorder from the initial announcement has mostly subsided. The H-1B registration season for the next fiscal year has just begun. With H-1B applications open until March 19th, it's unclear what effect, if any, the new rules will have on hiring, immigration, and the workforce, but experts are warning the …

Read the full story at The Verge.