Doctors may be exempt from $100,000 H-1B visa fee: Report
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Synopsis
The Trump administration’s new H-1B visa policy, which introduces a $100,000 fee, might offer exemptions for certain professionals. A White House spokesperson indicated that physicians and medical residents could potentially be excluded from this fee. This development has raised concerns among medical professionals, who worry about the policy’s impact on international medical graduates seeking opportunities in the U.S.

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Last Updated: Sep 22, 2025, 09:07:14 PM IST
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The Trump administration’s decision to impose a new $100,000 fee on high-skilled H-1B visa applications may not apply to all stakeholders.

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A statement from the White House, accessed by Bloomberg, clarifies that certain professionals, including physicians, could be exempt from this fee.

“The Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Bloomberg news in an email.

The statement comes amid widespread concern that the unprecedented fee could severely limit opportunities for international professionals, particularly in medicine and technology.
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Trump administration’s $100,000 H-1B fee
In a sweeping move that could reshape the US immigration landscape, President Donald Trump last week signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

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The administration argues the measure will ensure only “extraordinarily skilled” individuals enter the country, while discouraging companies from using foreign professionals to replace American workers.
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick framed the decision as a corrective step, saying past employment-based visa policies admitted people earning below-average salaries, often dependent on government assistance.

The new regime, he said, will filter out the “bottom quartile” and raise over $100 billion for the US Treasury. The Republican President added that these funds will help reduce national debt and taxes.

Why this matters for Indian professionals
For India, the decision lands like a thunderclap. Roughly 71% of H-1B visa holders are Indian, with most employed in the technology sector. Firms such as Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tata Consultancy Services have long relied on the program to place Indian engineers and developers in US projects.

With visas valid for three years and renewable up to six, the new cost structure could make it prohibitively expensive for companies to retain Indian professionals, particularly during the decades-long wait many face for Green Cards.

Moreover, this matters beyond individual careers. India’s $250-billion IT services industry has been built on its ability to send talent abroad, especially to the US. If firms balk at paying $100,000 annually per employee, opportunities for Indian professionals could shrink sharply, potentially undermining India’s competitive edge in the global tech economy.

The US technology sector, a heavy user of H-1B visas, has been thrown into uncertainty. While Trump insists that “big tech loves the idea,” investors reacted nervously.

Reuters reported that shares of IT services companies, including US-listed Indian firms, dropped between 2% and 5% following the announcement. Critics said the measure discourages talent mobility and innovation. Supporters argue it will prevent wage suppression and compel companies to invest in training American graduates instead.

“Information technology (IT) firms in particular have prominently manipulated the H-1B system, significantly harming American workers in computer-related fields,” read a White House memo on the matter.
— Read on m.economictimes.com/nri/work/doctors-may-be-exempt-from-100000-h-1b-visa-fee-report/articleshow/124052403.cms