President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a number of new policies directed at immigration and foreign workers. This month, Trump signed a proclamation to reform the H-1B visa program on Sep. 19, 2025.
Titled the “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, this new order would require any new workers under the H-1B program to pay a one-time $100,000 fee.
While Trump’s proclamation does not affect previously employed workers in the program, anyone who submitted a petition prior to Sep. 21, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. will be forced to pay this additional fee.
According to the Department of Labor, this new fee is designed to “safeguard the rights, wages and job opportunities of highly skilled American workers by ensuring employees prioritize qualified Americans when hiring workers and holding employers accountable if they abuse the H-1B visa process”.
However, this new proclamation will affect foreign students who attended universities in the United States and want to pursue a job after graduation.
The H-1B program is designed for employers who want to hire foreign employees temporarily with special skills or in particular occupations. These workers often have to meet special requirements, such as having a bachelor’s degree, making this program ideal for international college students who want to work in the United States.
Not only does the H-1B program allow foreign workers to stay and have a job in America, but it also serves as a pathway to citizenship. While in the United States, these workers can apply for a green card and eventually become U.S. citizens if they meet the requirements.
This $100,000 fee is a large increase from the charges that were originally imposed on workers in this program, with the highest stretching to $4,000. While most of these fees are covered by employers, this new fee could impact smaller employers and nonprofits seeking these highly qualified workers.
It is believed that while larger companies will be able to cover the cost, smaller businesses will struggle and shrink the pool of opportunities that is already highly competitive.
While the future for foreign workers in the H-1B program seems uncertain, this new proclamation is designed to protect American workers who are similarly skilled and are being passed over for international workers. Not only was it designed to protect American workers, but it is also supposed to prevent multiple abuses that have been taking place in the program, including money laundering and paying foreign workers lower wages.
With Trump signing this new proclamation into law, the future remains uncertain for foreign workers pursuing opportunities in the United States.
The Southeast Arrow, a student-run newspaper at Southeast Missouri State University and news partner with KRCU Public Radio, originally published this story.
