- President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday making changes to the H-1B visa program.
- US employers hiring foreign skilled workers must now pay a $100,000 application fee.
- The majority of H-1B applications are for professional, scientific, and technical services.
Some employers may struggle with the new $100,000 H-1B application fee more than others.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday imposing the new fee for employers applying to the H-1B program, which temporarily allows them to hire foreign skilled workers for specialized jobs.
The White House clarified on Saturday that the order, which takes effect at midnight on Sunday, only applies to new applicants.
Data from the Department of Labor offers insights into which industries could get hit the hardest by the change and how much those roles typically pay.
The Department of Labor reports that nearly 50% of H-1B applications are related to “professional, scientific, and technical services.”
Amazon, for example, filed nearly 15,000 applications during the last year of the program, which ended in late March, according to an analysis by Business Insider.
The pay range for workers with H-1B status can vary based on the specific job and field. Although employers don’t report specific data about H-1B workers’ salaries, the Department of Labor publishes the typical wage for roles held by H-1B workers.
About 30% of H-1B workers make $100,000 or less each year, while only 10% make over $200,000, which means the additional fee would significantly impact the cost of hiring these workers.
