Trump Admin Tightens H-1B Oversight: Employer Layoff Scrutiny, $100K Fee Renewal, and Lottery-to-Wage Shift

NewsData.io · United States · Sep 20, 2026

The Trump administration has signed an Executive Order and Proclamation directing the Departments of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to weigh employer layoffs of similarly situated U.S. workers when reviewing H-1B petitions, and has renewed a $100,000 fee requirement for certain H-1B visa applications. The White House claims the original 2025 fee proclamation reduced H-1B registrations from major IT outsourcing firms by 92% and cut consular processing requests by nearly 97%. Fiscal year 2027 marks the first H-1B selection cycle determined by wage level rather than a randomized lottery, with total registrations down nearly 40%. Staffing agencies and employers relying on H-1B talent pipelines face significantly heightened compliance scrutiny and cost pressures.