Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Fee Could Cost US 140,000 Jobs A Year, JPMorgan Warns

Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 22:08 IST

Donald Trump’s new 100000 H-1B visa fee may cut over 66000 approvals yearly, JPMorgan Chase & Co. economists caution.

US President Donald Trump. (AFP photo)

The Donald Trump administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications could sharply curtail immigrant work authorisations in the United States, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. economists estimating an annual reduction of more than 66,000 approvals, Bloomberg reported.

A separate immigration expert cautioned that the fee hike- intended to prevent “program misuse” and prioritise American workers- could go further, effectively dismantling the H-1B system and eliminating as many as 140,000 new jobs each year in US companies that depend on foreign talent.

Indians Expected To Be Hit Hardest

Indian nationals, who account for the majority of H-1B recipients, are projected to bear the brunt of the new policy. Roughly 71% of all H-1B approvals in fiscal 2024 went to Indian workers, particularly in technology roles. Analysts noted that while the overall impact on the US labour market may appear modest, the consequences will be disproportionate for tech firms and Indian professionals, who dominate the visa pool.

What The Analysis Found?

Economists Abiel Reinhart and Michael Feroli of JPMorgan said the most immediate effect will fall on the 65,000 visas processed abroad each year, largely for new employment and therefore directly exposed to the full $100,000 fee. If those applications were abandoned because of costs, they estimated, monthly immigrant work authorisations could fall by as much as 5,500.

In total, the US approved 141,000 H-1B petitions for new employment last fiscal year. The JPMorgan economists noted that unless affected applicants can shift to other visa categories, the policy change could significantly choke off skilled immigration.

US President Donald Trump raised the H-1B fee from its prior range of $215 to $5,000- depending on company size- to a flat $100,000 per application. The White House framed the policy as a way to protect American jobs, prevent abuse of the system and prioritise higher-paid, highly skilled applicants.

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