The Trump administration has moved to impose a fee of more than $100,000 on H-1B skilled-worker visas, according to a report by The Detroit News. The figure, if finalised, would represent one of the largest financial barriers ever attached to a US employment-based visa category.

The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. It has long served as the primary route for engineers, IT professionals and other highly skilled employees, and it underpins hiring at major American technology and manufacturing companies.

What changes under the proposal?

The administration's move would attach a fee exceeding $100,000 to the H-1B process. Details of how the charge would be structured — whether it applies per petition, per beneficiary, or per renewal — have not been specified in the announcement as reported.

For employers, the practical effect is a sharp rise in the cost of sponsoring foreign talent. A fee at that level would place H-1B sponsorship beyond the reach of many small and mid-sized firms and could push large employers to reconsider overseas hiring altogether.

For prospective applicants, the change would make access to the programme depend significantly on an employer's willingness and capacity to absorb a six-figure charge.

Who is affected?

• US employers that petition for H-1B workers in specialty occupations
• Foreign nationals seeking skilled employment in the United States through the H-1B route
• Industries that rely heavily on the programme, including technology, engineering and healthcare

What happens next?

Proposed fee changes of this scale typically require a formal regulatory process before they take effect. Stakeholders should watch for the official publication of the rule and its stated effective date in the Federal Register, which will set out the exact amount, scope and implementation timeline.

Until an official rule is published, existing H-1B filing procedures and fee schedules remain in force. Employers and applicants should anchor decisions to announcements from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security rather than to secondary reports.

This is a developing story. Passport File will track the proposal as regulatory details emerge.

This article reports on a proposed policy change and does not constitute legal advice for individual cases. Refer to USCIS and Federal Register publications for authoritative guidance.