Key facts
- President Donald Trump has extended restrictions on the H-1B non-immigrant visa program by another year.
- The proclamation imposes a travel ban on future H-1B employees entering the U.S. unless employers pay a $100,000 fee or receive an exemption.
- The ban does not apply to current H-1B visa holders or renewals, only to new visas.
- Those with H-1B visas outside the country will not be charged a fee to re-enter.
- The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.
- The proclamation directs the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to withhold approval of pending H-1B visas until the fee is paid or an exemption is granted.
President Donald Trump has extended restrictions on the H-1B non-immigrant visa program by another year, according to a White House proclamation released on Friday. The proclamation, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” imposes a travel ban on future H-1B employees entering the United States unless employers pay a $100,000 fee or the secretary of homeland security grants an exemption.
The ban, effective Sunday, September 21 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, does not apply to current H-1B visa holders or renewals, only to new visas. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that individuals with H-1B visas currently outside the country will not be charged the fee to re-enter. The proclamation also directs the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to withhold approval of pending H-1B visas until the fee is paid or an exemption is granted.
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring technical expertise, such as in IT, engineering, finance, and healthcare. The program is subject to an annual cap and typically grants visas for up to six years. Some within the Trump administration have expressed skepticism about the program, arguing it allows companies to hire foreign workers over Americans.