Physicians may be exempted from new H-1B visa fees, according to a report on Monday, days after the White House announced a new $100,000 fee for such visas that include “case-by-case exemptions if in the national interest.”
Doctors may be among those exempted, a Bloomberg news reporter said in a post on X, citing White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers.
On Sept 20, the Trump administration said it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas, potentially dealing a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China.
Since taking office in January, Trump has kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, including moves to limit some forms of legal immigration. The step to reshape the H-1B visa program represents his administration’s most high-profile effort yet to rework temporary employment visas.
Trump’s threat to crack down on H-1B visas has become a major flashpoint with the tech industry, which contributed millions of dollars to his presidential campaign.
The new visa policy has dealt a major blow to Indian citizens, who have been the largest beneficiaries of skilled worker visas. Thousands of Indians could soon face serious challenges in pursuing work opportunities in the US.
Indians dominate H-1B visa allocations
According to official data from 2024, a total of 399,395 H-1B visas were issued by the US. Of these, a staggering 283,397 visas — about 72% — went to Indian citizens, cementing India’s position as the top recipient of skilled US visas.
China in second place
China was a distant second, receiving 46,680 H-1B visas during the same period. Meanwhile, all other countries combined, including Pakistan, accounted for less than 1% of the total visas issued, highlighting the overwhelming share held by Indian professionals in the American tech and corporate sectors.
Some employers have exploited the program to hold down wages, disadvantaging US workers, according to the executive order Trump signed on Friday.
The number of foreign science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers in the US more than doubled between 2000 and 2019 to nearly 2.5 million, even as overall STEM employment only increased 44.5% during that time, it said.
