The Excerpt Will changes to the H-1B visa program preserve jobs for Americans?
Oct 23, 2025
In this discussion, Daniel Costa, a labor and immigration policy expert from the Economic Policy Institute, dives into recent changes to the H-1B visa program. He highlights a new $100,000 application fee and its potential effects on the U.S. tech sector. Costa explains how this could shrink the talent pool and possibly hinder innovation. He also explores the link between H-1B misuse and high unemployment among computer science graduates, advocating for policy reforms like better wage requirements and green-card pathways.
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$100K Fee Announced But Not Implemented
- The Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for applicants outside the U.S., but implementation mechanisms don't exist yet.
- Daniel Costa notes the fee is large and layered atop existing program fees and currently unenforceable due to missing processes.
Scale Of The H-1B Program
- The H-1B program covers roughly 600,000 workers and about 50,000 employers, making it the largest U.S. temporary skilled-worker visa program.
- Annual caps limit new H-1Bs to 85,000 for for-profit companies, with additional uncapped slots for universities and nonprofits.
Fee Could Reshape Who Uses H-1Bs
- Costa expects behavior change rather than a collapse in recruitment, with big companies likely absorbing the fee while hospitals and universities may be priced out.
- He warns the fee could shift which occupations and employers use the program, not necessarily reduce total hiring.
