Trump renews $100k H-1B fee, targets layoffs

A fresh H-1B hurdle is here for Indian tech workers and US employers. President Donald Trump has extended the $100,000 payment requirement for certain H-1B workers coming from outside the US and ordered federal agencies to take an employer’s recent or planned layoffs into account when reviewing H-1B cases. The renewed restriction is set to run until September 21, 2027, unless extended again.

The new order directs the Departments of State, Labor and Homeland Security to examine whether sponsoring companies have laid off, or plan to lay off, similarly situated US workers. The Labor Department is also required to begin reviewing data from previously filed Labor Condition Applications within 30 days. Importantly, the order does not say that an employer facing layoffs will automatically have an H-1B case rejected; layoffs are now one of the factors agencies must consider.

For Indian IT professionals, H-1B applicants and students planning a US career, the fee is particularly significant because the White House says registrations from the largest IT outsourcing companies have fallen sharply since the original 2025 measure. The administration also says the H-1B selection system has shifted toward higher-paid and higher-skilled positions. These figures are White House-reported measurements, while the broader impact on employers and workers will depend on how the new rules are implemented.