The Trump administration is planning new fees targeting H-1B visas and the F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, a move that could increase the cost of working and studying in the US for foreign nationals.
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed increasing the H-1B visa fee to $103,265, according to a regulation published in the Federal Register on Monday. A similar $100,000 fee imposed last year has been blocked by the courts.
Immigration services firm Fragomen said the proposals could increase costs for foreign workers, students transitioning from universities to employment, and employers sponsoring H-1B workers.
The proposals are particularly significant for Indians, who accounted for 71% of H-1B beneficiaries in 2024. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 399,402 H-1B petitions that year.
Fragomen said a proposed OPT fee rule was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget on August 20 and was under review. A proposed rule imposing a fee on certain H-1B petitions was received by the OMB and cleared review on August 19.
The firm said the Department of Homeland Security could propose a $100,000 fee for OPT applications. It added that the proposed H-1B fee could be connected to ongoing litigation over the administration's previously blocked $100,000 H-1B petition fee.
The contents of both proposals remain confidential and will be formally released later.
The administration is also considering changes to protections for H-1B workers. Earlier this month, DHS proposed eliminating the existing 60-day grace period for certain H-1B workers and their dependants after their employment ends.
If finalised, the change could require affected workers to leave the US immediately or risk violating their immigration status.
More than 5.2 million people of Indian origin live in the US, according to recent estimates based on US Census data.