The Trump administration has introduced a sweeping change to the H-1B visa process: a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, replacing the much lower existing application fee.
However, there is a possible exception. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said that the proclamation allows for potential exemptions, particularly for physicians and medical residents, if their hiring is deemed to be “in the national interest.”
The fee does not apply to current H-1B visa holders, or for renewals, according to clarifications from the White House.
Medical bodies in the U.S. have expressed concern that the new fee could worsen the existing shortage of doctors, especially in rural or underserved areas, by making it more difficult for international medical graduates to enter or work.
