Washington, D.C. [U.S.], September 8 (ANI): U.S. President Donald Trump used his Labor Day proclamation to promote a proposed fee on H-1B visa applications, asserting that the measure would encourage domestic companies to prioritize American workers before seeking employees from abroad.
“To ensure we are hiring and training American workers, we are proposing a new fee on H-1B visa petitions that will encourage companies to invest in qualified Americans before looking overseas for labor,” Trump stated in the proclamation issued Monday.
By incorporating the issue into his Labor Day address, Trump directly linked the highly scrutinized H-1B visa program to a broader agenda focused on industrial production, trade tariffs and domestic employment security.
The H-1B program is frequently used by technology companies and other employers to recruit highly skilled international workers. Indian citizens have traditionally represented the largest segment of H-1B recipients, making policy changes a subject of significant interest in India and among Indian professionals in the United States.
Clarifying the implementation status, the referenced financial requirement does not constitute a newly enacted fee introduced Monday.
The Department of Homeland Security previously advanced a rule proposing a $103,265 fee for cap-subject H-1B applications, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption. The fee would be collected upon filing in addition to standard immigration costs and would support administrative expenses.
Framing the initiative within a broader fiscal agenda favoring American workers, Trump also highlighted shifts in manufacturing.
“After decades of disastrous trade policies that surrendered our industrial strength to foreign nations, companies are now returning home, investing trillions of dollars into the United States economy, and adding over 900,000 American jobs,” Trump stated.
The administration attributed the country’s industrial resilience to protective tariffs and pointed to consecutive months of manufacturing growth.
“Our Nation is entering a bold new era of American manufacturing, technological innovation, and economic prosperity — powered by the might of the American worker,” Trump said.
The official proclamation designated September 7 as Labor Day to recognize the contributions of American workers.
The development follows a previous attempt by the administration to impose a $100,000 fee on incoming H-1B entrants. That measure was invalidated by a Massachusetts federal judge in June on grounds of executive overreach, followed by an appeals court’s denial in July of the administration’s request for a stay.
Unlike the previous immediate measure, the proposed $103,265 fee is proceeding through the standard federal regulatory process and is not currently an active charge. (ANI)
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