GoKawiilDHS raises H-1B visa fee to $103,265, targets OPT program next
The Department of Homeland Security announced a new fee of over $103,000 for H-1B visas, a slight increase from a similar $100,000 fee a federal judge struck down in June after more than 70 employers had already paid it. The same day, the State Department revealed plans to revoke visas for up to 200,000 asylum seekers, described as potentially the largest mass visa revocation in US history. DHS has also signaled it may impose a comparable $100,000 fee on the Optional Practical Training program, which allows international students to work in the US after graduation.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
H-1B visas are heavily used by major tech employers like Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, so a steep fee hike could reshape hiring practices and push companies to look elsewhere for skilled labor. The parallel crackdown on asylum seekers and threats to OPT suggest a broader strategy of using bureaucratic and financial pressure to reduce legal immigration rather than relying solely on enforcement actions like arrests and deportations.
- DHS is reinstating a roughly $103,000 fee on H-1B visas after a court blocked a similar $100,000 fee in June.
- The State Department plans to revoke visas for up to 200,000 asylum seekers, potentially the largest such action in US history.
- Immigration advocates fear the OPT program, used by international graduates, could face a similar $100,000 fee next.
Source: theverge.com — Gadel Valle, 2026-08-25
Published there as: “Trump is upping the price of Big Tech’s favorite visa”
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