How USA’s shocking H-1B visa fees could affect you, and what you should do next

Note: U.S. visa rules can change based on government decisions, legal challenges, and policy reviews. The details shared here reflect the situation at the time of publication. We encourage readers to check the latest updates on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Department of State websites.

Across Asia, the U.S. remains one of the most sought-after destinations for students and skilled professionals, particularly in technology, healthcare, engineering, and business. Many graduates from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong build their career pathways through U.S. study and Optional Practical Training (OPT) before transitioning to work visas such as the H-1B. Because of this, any major change in U.S. visa policy can influence how students and young professionals across the region plan their global careers.

The cost of the American dream has skyrocketed to $100,000, and it’s going to curb highly skilled foreign professionals and graduates from working in the U.S.

Whether this seismic shift in the H-1B visa affects you or not, one thing is sure for workers of the future: having global mobility will be important, and so is staying relevant, not still.

By taking IELTS, the trusted English test accepted by 12,500+ institutions across the world, you’re making the first steps for a realistic roadmap of your own life and career.

In September 2025, a policy revision introduced a significant additional fee for new H-1B hires arriving from outside the U.S. While the policy was initially set for a 12-month period, its duration and scope remain subject to review.

For the next 12 months (unless extended), hiring companies will have to pay a staggering one-time fee of US$100,000 to bring someone new into the U.S. This is on top of the pre-existing legal and filing fees they have to pay, typically upwards of US$2,000.

Notably, this fee will not apply to current H1-B visa holders already in the U.S., renewals, nor change of status, including international students on a F-1 visa who may switch to the skilled worker visa later. Instead, the visa policy is aimed at restricting prospective H-1B workers outside the U.S.

• Additional one-time fee: US$100,000 for new hires located outside the U.S. (effective 21 September 2025).

• Applies to: new overseas hires only

• Excludes: current H-1B visa holders, renewals, most change-of-status petitions inside the U.S. (e.g. F-1 to H-1B).

• Policy status: Policy is in effect, but full regulatory guidance and exemptions are still being clarified and may evolve.

• Check official updates: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Granted for a minimum of three years, up to six, the U.S. visa for temporary work is designed to help companies hire specialised talent to fill skill gaps in technology, education, healthcare, engineering and sciences.

H-1B applications typically do not have English language requirements like IELTS, but deeply value your education attained and employment background. To study in the U.S. in a H-1B specialty, you’ll need a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.

Why is this visa restricted?

Until now, H-1B visas are limited to 85,000 yearly and issued by lottery, which decides who can proceed to apply. 20,000 of these visas are reserved for international students who have completed graduate or higher programmes in the U.S.

However, the latest H-1B overhaul seeks to curb “visa abuse” in outsourcing, by making it prohibitively expensive to bring in outside talent and favouring higher earners in the selection process. Instead, U.S. employers are encouraged to invest in American workers who could do the jobs.

Generally, H-1B workers get salaries that are similar to or higher than those of U.S. workers with comparable education and experience levels.

Although the H-1B is a skilled worker visa, its impact will be felt greatly all the way to pre-graduation level. Companies will reduce their use of the H-1B visa, and hopeful students and professionals may have to rethink if the U.S. could still offer long-term opportunities and security.

If you’re one of them, consider how this might fundamentally change your prospects of living and working in the U.S.

Across the country, there may be a reduced inflow of high-value workers filling specialised roles. This could make it significantly harder for smaller companies, nonprofits and startups to sponsor overseas talent, as they may struggle to justify the additional financial burden. Over time, this shift may influence innovation capacity and long-term productivity growth, depending on how employers and industries adapt.

For decades, the U.S. has represented a gateway to advanced research facilities, vibrant startup ecosystems, and globally competitive salaries for Asian talent. If entry becomes more challenging, we may see more professionals from Southeast and North Asia exploring alternative destinations such as Canada, the UK, or Singapore’s own growing tech, biomedical, and sustainability sectors. Such shifts could reshape how the region’s young workforce maps out its long-term career mobility.

Immigrants are responsible for a third of American innovation, calculated using patents, when accounting for their impact on US-born collaborators. Rebecca Diamond of Harvard University and co-authors

Over time, a smaller population and a workforce which isn’t growing could take away from the U.S. powerhouse economy through lower outputs and higher costs, which will trickle back and impact people’s cost-of-living.

The new U.S. visa policy may also cause spillover effects across borders, if talent becomes scarce and Americans are not trained fast enough. U.S. companies could start to expand their operations to countries with lower labour costs like India, Eastern Europe or Latin America, hence pushing jobs out of the country.

As research by Britta Glennon of UPenn revealed, companies highly dependent on H-1B workers increased their employment abroad by about a quarter compared to those less reliant on them.

The U.S. government has sent an unmistakable message with the H-1B visa restriction: they’re serious about whittling down white-collar work for non-Americans, but remains open to exceptional talent in national interest fields and jobs commanding higher salaries.

Big Tech companies are still willing to fork out US$100,000 to employ H-1B workers, according to US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Additionally, the new fee would not apply for those already in the country or for change-of-status in visas, which means international students currently in the U.S. on F-1 visas still have a chance at switching to H-1B status after their OPT with an employer. This was clarified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on 20 October 2025.

You can ponder these big questions, as the U.S. is not closed to international students:

• What do you want to study?

• Will it help you transition into highly skilled jobs categorised under “National Interest Exception”, particularly in critical industries like AI, cybersecurity and defense, healthcare or biotechnology?

• Are there leading U.S. institutions in these fields?

• Could you aim for highly paid roles with the “big companies”, who may be more likely to justify the huge H-1B visa fee?

• Could you study in the U.S. but work elsewhere after graduation?

Should you still play the long game?

To compete for a high-growth American opportunity, you’ll need to be demonstrably worth the investment with globally recognised qualifications.

Amidst high competitiveness for visas, U.S. employers will conduct more stringent profiling of candidates, so you’ll need to have employable qualities at least, such as possessing soft skills like strong communication and the adaptability to thrive in global workplaces.

While in the U.S., connecting with prominent employers and demonstrating your value as a global prospect can open significant opportunities. This is especially relevant for students and graduates from Asia, where overseas education is often seen as a launchpad for regional leadership and innovation roles.

Students from across the region — from ASEAN countries to Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong — often use U.S. education as a stepping stone into global companies, research labs, or innovation hubs. If you are planning your pathway to the U.S., having clarity on your study major, intended industry, and long-term work trajectory becomes especially important.

According to regional mobility data, more than 120,000 students from Southeast Asia enroll in U.S. universities each year, with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia among the top contributors to STEM and business programs. Meanwhile, North Asian economies such as Korea, Taiwan, and China continue to rank among the largest sources of U.S. graduate-level talent, particularly in science and engineering fields.

Whether you decide to aim for an employment-based route or higher education, English proficiency is a basic requirement for succeeding in college, university and beyond. Taking the IELTS test can strengthen your U.S. university application and visa profile, offering you a path into USA and new possibilities.

Understandably, if you’re still wary about further disruptions where the U.S. government could enforce stricter policies or go after other routes in the future, you can keep your study and work options wide open.

As the global race for talent intensifies with rapidly changing industries thanks to AI, the truth is that many countries will need to match skilled workers to newly evolved jobs, innovate and grow faster.

This could result in countries creating temporary work pathways with faster approvals. Some recent examples include Canada’s Global Talent Stream (GTS) to expedite entry for in-demand tech and engineering roles or in an innovation-driven sector, and the UK’s 2-year High Potential Individual (HPI) visa. Work permit processing under GTS takes within 2 weeks, while HPI applications take 3 weeks for those residing outside of the UK and requires you to prove your English skills.

Look out for new opportunities outside of the U.S. which actively welcome skilled professionals, and let your IELTS results open up more flexible routes to success anywhere in the world.

If you’re looking to study or build your professional career in the U.S., being clear about how you intend to get there while future-proofing yourself is crucial. Knowing where to invest your energy, and spending your best years in a top institution, will also give you more confidence and skills to tackle tomorrow’s uncertainties.

You should also decide your non-negotiables before moving abroad. Do you refuse to budge on presence of safety, stability, long-term career prospects, or freedom to grow? Which destination and their policies embody some of these qualities and beliefs?

IELTS is the world’s most accepted English test, recognised by over 12,500 organisations and institutions globally. Your IELTS score is the trusted credential to prove your English language ability on a global stage.

Because U.S. immigration policies can evolve, it’s helpful to monitor official and trusted sources:

• USCIS H-1B Policy Updates: https://www.uscis.gov/h-1b

• Latest U.S. Visa bulletin (Green Card wait times): https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

• U.S. Student Visa Information (F-1): https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

Bookmark these so you can track changes that may affect your study or career plans in the U.S.

No matter how U.S. immigration rules shift, having globally recognised qualifications ensures your career mobility and keeps more pathways open, not just in one country, but worldwide.

Your next chapter doesn’t have to wait.

Prepare with confidence using IELTS by IDP’s free IELTS Prepare hub, which includes practice tests, sample questions and expert learning resources.

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