The Trump administration is drafting a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas after a court struck down its previous attempt to restrict the skilled-worker programme, Bloomberg reports.

The proposed fee of $100,000 per H-1B petition would become one of the most expensive visa charges in US immigration history if adopted. The plan follows a courtroom defeat that blocked an earlier rule targeting the same programme.

What is the new proposal?

According to Bloomberg, the administration is devising a fresh mechanism that would impose a $100,000 fee on employers filing H-1B petitions. The reported plan emerges after courts rejected an earlier administration rule, forcing officials to find a new legal route to curb use of the visa.

The H-1B programme lets US employers hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, most of them in technology, engineering and medicine. A fee at that level would effectively price many employers out of the programme.

Why did the administration go back to the drawing board?

A court defeat blocked the administration's previous measure aimed at tightening H-1B rules. Rather than appeal or reissue the same rule, officials are now working on the new $100,000 fee as an alternative lever, Bloomberg reports.

The shift from regulatory restrictions to financial barriers signals a change in tactics: instead of arguing eligibility in court, the administration would let a steep fee determine which employers can afford to sponsor foreign workers.

Who would be affected?

• US employers that sponsor foreign workers through the H-1B programme, especially in technology and other specialty occupations.
• Foreign professionals seeking H-1B status, whose job offers could disappear if employers decline to pay a $100,000-per-petition fee.
• Staffing firms and smaller companies, which would face the heaviest relative cost per hire.

What happens next?

The proposal must clear the US immigration rulemaking process before it takes effect. Bloomberg reports the plan is still being devised inside the administration; it has not been published as a formal rule, and no effective date has been set.

Employers and prospective applicants should watch for the official notice in the Federal Register, which will define the fee's exact scope, any exemptions and the filing deadlines. Until a rule is published and takes effect, current H-1B filing requirements remain unchanged.

This article reports on policy developments and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult official US Citizenship and Immigration Services publications and qualified immigration counsel for guidance on individual cases.