Washington, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump has backed a proposed new fee on H-1B visa petitions, saying the measure would encourage American companies to invest in and train US workers before seeking skilled talent from overseas.
Trump referred to the proposal in his Labour Day proclamation, placing the politically sensitive H-1B programme within a broader message focused on manufacturing, trade, tariffs and the protection of American jobs.
“To ensure we are hiring and training American workers, we are proposing a new fee on H-1B visa petitions that will encourage companies to invest in qualified Americans before looking overseas for labour,” Trump said in the proclamation issued on Monday local time.
The fee Trump referred to is not a new levy that took effect with the proclamation. The Department of Homeland Security last month proposed a $103,265 fee for H-1B petitions subject to the annual numerical cap, including petitions eligible for the advanced-degree exemption.
Under the proposed rule, the fee would be payable when an eligible petition is filed and would be in addition to other applicable immigration fees. The administration has said the proceeds would help cover federal costs associated with administering the lawful immigration system.
The H-1B programme is widely used by US technology companies and other employers to recruit highly skilled foreign professionals. Indian nationals have historically accounted for the largest share of H-1B beneficiaries, making changes to the programme closely watched in India and among Indian professionals in the US.
Trump presented the proposed fee as part of a wider economic policy aimed at strengthening employment opportunities for Americans. He said companies were returning to the US and investing heavily in the economy following what he described as decades of trade policies that weakened American industry.
“After decades of disastrous trade policies that surrendered our industrial strength to foreign nations, companies are now returning home, investing trillions of dollars into the United States economy, and adding over 900,000 American jobs,” Trump said.
He also credited his “protective tariffs” with shielding US workers from foreign competition and said American manufacturing had expanded for six consecutive months.
“Our Nation is entering a bold new era of American manufacturing, technological innovation, and economic prosperity — powered by the might of the American worker,” Trump said.
The proclamation formally designated September 7 as Labour Day and called on Americans to recognise the contributions and resilience of workers.
The latest H-1B proposal follows a separate Trump administration effort to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas. A federal judge in Massachusetts struck down that fee in June, ruling that the administration had exceeded its authority. A federal appeals court subsequently rejected the administration’s request in July to suspend the ruling while the case continues.
Unlike the earlier measure, the proposed $103,265 fee is being pursued through the federal rulemaking process and has not taken immediate effect. It applies to cap-subject H-1B petitions, meaning employers are not required to pay the proposed amount solely because of Trump’s Labour Day proclamation.
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