Who will qualify for exemptions under the $100,000 H-1B fee?

News Desk

Washington: The Biden administration on Monday indicated that physicians may be exempted from a newly announced $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas, offering some relief days after the sweeping change to the skilled worker program was unveiled.

Bloomberg reported that White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers confirmed “case-by-case exemptions in the national interest,” with doctors expected to be among the beneficiaries.

The administration had earlier announced on Sept 20 that companies hiring foreign workers under the H-1B program would be required to pay $100,000 per worker each year.

The move has raised alarm across the technology sector, which relies heavily on highly skilled employees from India and China.

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has rolled out a broad immigration crackdown, targeting both illegal and legal avenues. The H-1B overhaul marks one of his most high-profile efforts to reshape temporary employment visas.

His push has also sparked tensions with the tech industry, despite its significant financial support for his presidential campaign.

The new fee structure has dealt a particularly heavy blow to Indian professionals, who dominate H-1B allocations. Official 2024 figures show that of the 399,395 H-1B visas issued, 283,397—or 72 percent—went to Indian citizens.

China ranked second with 46,680 visas, while all other countries combined, including Pakistan, received less than one percent. Critics of the program argue that some employers misuse it to suppress wages and disadvantage American workers.

A White House executive order noted that while the number of foreign science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers in the US more than doubled between 2000 and 2019 to nearly 2.5 million, overall STEM employment only rose 44.5 percent during the same period.

The exemption for physicians, however, signals a recognition of the role foreign-trained doctors play in meeting US healthcare needs, particularly in underserved areas.