The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking comments on a proposal to impose a new $103,265 fee on many H-1B visa petitions. The fee would be charged in addition to the existing $100,000 H-1B fee imposed in 2025 and currently paused by the courts.
Health care employers could face substantially higher hiring costs: If finalized, the proposal would make it more expensive for hospitals, laboratories, and other health care employers to recruit international pathologists and laboratory professionals. In some circumstances, total federal payments associated with a single H-1B petition could exceed $200,000–if the new fee is finalized and the 2025 fee resumes.
Workforce concerns remain: Higher H-1B costs would make recruitment more challenging for organizations facing workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
What’s next: Comments on the proposed rule are due Sept. 24. The CAP plans to submit comments outlining concerns about the proposal’s impact on pathology and laboratory workforce recruitment.