How much real money will the American taxpayer receive as a result of Trump’s decision to raise H-1B fees?

In an executive order issued Friday, President Donald Trump redesigned the H-1B visa fee structure with the goal of reducing program “abuse.” All applicants for H-1B visas now need a $100,000 payment.

This is a significant increase from the typical H-1B charge ballpark of $10,000. Interestingly, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has now clarified that the annual fee is not required. This $100,000 payment will only be made once.

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The US Government is paying more to hire foreign workers as a result of the startling fee increases. Given the higher H-1B fees, the US taxpayer stands to gain the following.

The amount of the H-1B fee increase that US taxpayers will get

With the petition, H-1B applicants must now pay the government $100,000. As a result, the quantity of applications would determine the overall sum.

According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the US government has already received enough applications for the fiscal year 2026 to reach the Congressionally mandated cap. “The 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption and the 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap” are mandated by Congress. The master’s cap is another name for the latter.

This brings the total number of petitions to 85,000. If this trend continues, the US government would receive almost $8.5 billion. According to President Trump’s decree, this is only possible if all applicants complete their visa petitions and there are no exceptions to the payment norm.

399,395 H-1B visas were granted in 2024. china earned 11.7 percent of that, while Indians received 71 percent.

Normally, the visa fees would be used to fund federal programs or projects rather than being paid by taxpayers. Trump has, however, previously hinted at rebate cheques financed by extra money. He had previously proposed tariff-funded rebate checks, with the starting amount being $600 per adult. At the very least, it is unclear whether the increase in revenue from the H-1B visa fee hike will result in a proposal of this kind.

“Abuse of H-1B is a national threat.”

“The misuse of the H-1B program is also a National Security threat,” the proclamation, which Trump signed, states. H-1B-reliant outsourcing firms have been targeted and looked into by domestic law enforcement for conspiring to launder money, engage in visa fraud, violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and engage in other illegal activities to entice foreign workers to the United States.

Additionally, it states that misuse of the H-1B program jeopardizes American leadership in science and technology by deterring Americans from pursuing careers in these disciplines, posing a threat to national security.

“Moreover, misuse of the H-1B program jeopardizes American leadership in science and technology by deterring Americans from pursuing careers in these fields, posing a national security threat,” it continues.