Doctors To Be Exempted From $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee? What Team Trump Said

The White House has indicated that the Donald Trump administration may exempt doctors from the newly introduced $100,000 fee on high-skilled H-1B visa applications. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers, in a statement to Bloomberg News, said that the proclamation signed by President Donald Trump "allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents."

The executive order released last week stated that the hefty application fees can be waived if the US Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the hiring of certain workers on an individual basis, or to work for a specific company or industry, is "in the national interest."

 "Ultimately, the Trump Administration defers to the language in the proclamation," Rogers said.

The clarification came after some of the largest medical bodies raised concerns about the risk of a doctor shortage in rural America, where there's already a dearth of providers. Medical professionals have warned that the proposed visa fee could severely limit the flow of international medical graduates entering the United States.

The White House has announced the $100,000 fee for an H-1B visa application. The fee is currently $215, plus other relatively nominal processing charges.

Since announcing the decision on Friday, the White House has tried to reassure jittery companies that the fee does not apply to existing visa holders and that their H-1B employees travelling abroad will not be stranded, unable to re-enter the United States without coming up with $100,000. The new policy took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Sunday.

About H-1B Visa

An H-1B allows employers to hire foreign workers who have specialised skills and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. They are good for three years and can be extended another three years, suggesting that there are now "around 700,000 H-1B visa holders in the country and another half a million or so dependents," economist Stephen Brown of Capital Economics wrote in a commentary on Monday.

At least 60 per cent of the H-1B visas approved since 2012 have been for computer-related jobs, according to the Pew Research Centre. But hospitals, banks, universities and a wide range of other employers can and do apply for H-1B visas.

The number of new visas issued annually is capped at 65,000, plus an additional 20,000 for people with a master's degree or higher. Those visas are handed out by a lottery. Some employers, such as universities and nonprofits, are exempt from the limits.

According to Pew, nearly three-quarters of those whose applications were approved in 2023 came from India.