MockSutraCurrent Affairs

United States Extends the USD 100,000 H-1B Petition Fee Until September 2027

19 September 2026National

US President Donald Trump extended the USD 100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions until 21 September 2027. The levy, created by a proclamation of 19 September 2025, was due to lapse on 21 September 2026. A federal district court vacated it on 8 June 2026 as an unlawful tax and the First Circuit declined in July 2026 to stay that ruling, so USCIS cannot currently collect it. The fee targets new petitions for workers outside the United States, not extensions or students already there. A separate executive order of 19 September 2026 orders closer scrutiny of employers' layoffs, and DHS has proposed a USD 103,265 fee for all cap-subject petitions.

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H-1B is a United States non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations, administered by USCIS under the Department of Homeland Security | The annual H-1B regular cap is 65,000, plus 20,000 for holders of US advanced degrees | Indian nationals receive the largest share of H-1B visas each year

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