Foreign employers may have to pay an additional $103,265 fee to sponsor workers under the US H-1B visa programme, according to a new proposal by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a notice posted in the Federal Register on Monday, the proposed charge would apply to H-1B
applications that fall under the annual quota of 65,000 regular visas, plus
20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees from US institutions.
The fee would be payable when the petition is filed and
would come on top of existing H-1B application fees and other applicable
charges.
If approved, the new charge would significantly increase the
cost for employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers through the
programme.
The proposal comes after a federal district court in June
struck down an earlier $100,000 H-1B fee introduced by the Donald Trump
administration.
H-1B visas, which currently cost employers around $1,500 in
administrative fees, are valid for three to six years.
“If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train
one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our
land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in
people to take our jobs,” Howard Lutnick, US Commerce Secretary, said last year
when the policy was introduced.
The H-1B visa programme has been a flashpoint between
President Trump and the US technology industry, which relies heavily on foreign
workers, including Nigerians.
Government figures show that roughly two-thirds of H-1B jobs
are computer-related. The visa is also used to hire engineers, educators, and
healthcare workers.
The new policy proposal marks the latest attempt by the US
president to curb legal immigration.
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