US plans H-1B work visa fee increase to Rp1.82 billion

The United States Department of Homeland Security has proposed an increase in the H-1B work visa filing fee to more than $103,000 (Rp1.82 billion).

“The Department of Homeland Security proposes establishing a fee of $103,265, payable at the time of registration, for all H-1B visa filings,” according to a document obtained by RIA Novosti.

The unreleased document also states that the six-figure fee “will be imposed in addition to all other applicable fees or payments”.

The document states that the fee is intended to cover part of the costs associated with visa processing.

The H-1B is a type of visa that allows US employers to recruit foreign nationals seeking to work in professions requiring specialised skills, which the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says require “extraordinary ability and capability”.

In June, a US federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump’s decision to set a $100,000 fee constituted an unlawful tax.

Then in July, Vice President JD Vance said the US Department of Labour was investigating dozens of alleged fraud cases involving the H-1B work visa programme and had issued a number of subpoenas.

JD Vance argued that abuse of the H-1B work visa suppresses the wages of native US workers. He added that those who abuse the visa will be barred from entering the US.