The Trump administration has extended the $100,000 payment requirement for H-1B visa applications for another year, saying that registrations by some of the largest IT outsourcing companies have fallen by 92% since the fee was introduced in 2025.

President Donald Trump signed a new presidential proclamation on September 18 extending the restrictions until September 21, 2027. Under the proclamation, certain H-1B specialty-occupation workers seeking entry to the United States will remain subject to a $100,000 payment requirement, with limited exceptions for cases determined to be in the national interest.

According to the White House, registrations submitted by the largest IT staffing and outsourcing companies fell from 24,946 before the 2025 proclamation to 2,055 afterward — a 92% decline. 

The administration also reported a nearly 97% decline in requests for consular processing, which are used by employers seeking to bring workers into the United States.

The $100,000 requirement was first introduced in September 2025 as part of the administration’s efforts to address what it described as abuses of the H-1B visa program. The White House has argued that some IT staffing and outsourcing companies use the program to recruit lower-paid foreign workers and, in some cases, replace or displace American workers.

The administration says the policy is intended to protect the U.S. labor market and encourage employers to recruit workers with higher levels of skills and wages. The latest proclamation also points to changes in the H-1B selection process, including a weighted system that gives greater priority to higher-skilled and higher-paid workers.

The White House reported that registrations involving beneficiaries with at least a U.S. master’s degree increased from 45.1% of total registrants for fiscal year 2026 to 66.1% for fiscal year 2027. It also said that jobs corresponding to the two highest wage levels represented about 46.3% of H-1B selections, while the lowest wage level accounted for 17.8%.

In extending the restrictions, Trump said the policy was part of an effort to protect American workers and the U.S. economy. The White House described the extension as “an extension of the program” aimed at protecting U.S. economic and national security interests while improving access to employment opportunities for American workers and graduates.

The administration has also introduced a separate measure increasing scrutiny of H-1B applications involving employers that have recently laid off, or are planning to lay off, similarly situated U.S. workers. The measure directs the Departments of State, Labor and Homeland Security to consider recent or planned layoffs when reviewing H-1B cases.

The extension comes as the $100,000 requirement faces legal challenges. Reuters reported that a federal court had previously blocked implementation of the fee, while appeals over the policy remain ongoing. Current H-1B holders and certain foreign graduates already in the United States are among those not subject to the new payment requirement.

However, the 92% figure cited by the White House specifically refers to registrations by large IT outsourcing and staffing companies, rather than all H-1B applicants.

The latest extension means that the $100,000 requirement will remain a significant factor for companies seeking to bring certain skilled foreign workers to the United States through the H-1B program through September 2027, subject to ongoing legal proceedings and any further changes by the administration.

Original article