The Digester

A new $100,000 fee for first-time H-1B applicants filed abroad and a wage-weighted lottery are reshaping who gets visas, prompting legal challenges and workarounds that are hitting rural schools and healthcare providers hard.

The administration set a $100,000 fee for first-time H-1B petitions filed from outside the United States.
USCIS now weights the H-1B lottery by wage, giving applicants one to four entries based on four wage levels and favoring higher-paid roles.
Big tech can absorb or work around the cost, while rural schools, hospitals, and Alaska districts report acute staffing and budget pressures.
Employers are shifting to stateside changes of status, hiring remotely, or prioritizing renewals to avoid the fee.
About 70 employers had paid the fee by February and three federal lawsuits have been filed challenging the change.
The H-1B registration season for the next fiscal year is open through March 19, and broader immigration rules and enhanced vetting are adding to employer uncertainty.

$100,000 H-1B fee strains rural schools, hospitals and hiring practices

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