An application for the H1B visa must be sponsored by the company employing the immigrant. Under the current norms, the H1B visa fee has increased multi-folder.
Currently, the filing fees are around $100,000, while an immigration lawyer charges between $500 – $3,000. The employer must also prove that they have sufficient funds to pay the applicant’s salary for a certain period of time.
In this article, we discuss the current H1B visa fee, the number of H-1B holders in the US and other such information about the work visa.
Read: US Visa Changes For Indians – New Rules, Key Updates And What Still Applies
Table of contents
- What Is H1B Visa?
- The Number of H1B Visa Holders In The US
- Why Is The Hike Being Proposed?
- Changes made to the Visa application Fee in the Past
- Current Cost of Filing an H1B Visa Petition
- Applicants Exempted From Paying The $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
- H1B Visa Approval Trends
- Top Tech Companies that Sponsored H1B Visas In 2025
- Who Will Be Affected By the H1B Visa Fee Hike The Most?
What Is H1B Visa?
While getting a job in the USA may be easy, getting the H1B visa that allows non-citizens to stay and work in the country is difficult for most people. The H1 visa may be the most popular visa for immigrants moving to the USA but it is also the hardest to get.
As the USA tightens its immigration norms, getting an H1B visa is set to become harder still. The US administration recently proposed a hike in the application fees for the H1B visa.
The Number of H1B Visa Holders In The US
According to TOI, as of 2025, there are an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 H-1B visa holders in the country. Here is a country-wise snapshot.
| Country | Number of H-1B Holders | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| India | 283,397 | 71% |
| China | 46,680 | 11.70% |
| Philippines | 5,248 | 1.30% |
| Canada | 4,222 | 1.10% |
| South Korea | 3,983 | 1.00% |
| Mexico | 3,333 | ~0.8% |
| Other Countries (combined) | ~45,435 | ~13.1% |
| Total | ~398,298 | 100% |
| Source: | travel.state.gov |
Read: Latest US H-1B Visa Updates 2025 – Key Changes For Indian Applicants
Why Is The Hike Being Proposed?
The hike in application fees is being proposed to increase the government’s funding to expand the apprentice program. This program trains American citizens to take on technology-related job profiles. This includes health care, advanced manufacturing, and information technology.
It aims at training Americans youth for roles at small and medium-sized businesses that were earlier being handled by immigrants.
Changes made to the Visa application Fee in the Past
This is not the first time a proposal has been put forward to increase the H1B visa filing fees. In FY 2017, the H1B filing fee was increased by $4,000 in certain categories.
This affected companies that employed 50 or more employees of which 50% were immigrants. This increased fee was applicable only to new petitions and not for extension petitions.
In October 2018, the premium processing fee was increased to $1,410.
Current Cost of Filing an H1B Visa Petition
The fee applicable for filing an H1B visa petition depends on many factors such as the size of the company, etc. The fee can be broken down as:
| Type | Fee in USD | Description | Paid By |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 Fee | $750 or $1,500 | $750 for companies with less than 25 full-time employees; $1,500 for companies with 25 or more full-time employees | Employer |
| Fraud Prevention & Detection Fee | $500 | Applicable to new H-1B and change of employer petitions. Not applicable to Singapore and Chile petitions | Employer |
| Fee based on Public Law 114-113 | $4,000 | Applicable only for companies with more than 50 employees, of whom at least 5% are H-1B visa holders | Employer |
| New Additional H-1B Filing Fee | $100,000 | Mandatory flat fee for each new H-1B petition filed on or after September 21, 2025 | Employer |
| Premium Processing Fee | $2,805 | Optional expedited processing service | Employer or Employee |
| Immigration Attorney Fee | $500 - $3,000 | Applicable only if employer uses third-party immigration attorneys | Employer |
| Visa Stamping Fee | Variable (approx. $190) | Fees vary by U.S. consulate/embassy and country | Employee |
Applicants Exempted From Paying The $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
No blanket exemptions exist for any country; exemptions are based on filing date, petition type, and narrowly defined national interest criteria.
- H-1B petitions filed before September 21, 2025 (the fee applies only to petitions filed on or after this date).
- Current H-1B visa holders applying for extension of stay or change of employer within the U.S. (i.e., not new petitions)
- Employers who qualify for national interest exceptions granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security; this includes certain critical roles in healthcare, engineering, or other sectors deemed vital.
- H-1B applicants under free trade agreements exemptions, such as applicants from Singapore and Chile, may be exempt from some fees, but not specifically the $100,000 fee itself (this mainly applies to other fees like fraud prevention)
- Employers exempt under Public Law 114-113 fee rules (generally smaller companies with fewer than 50 employees or not meeting the immigrant percentage threshold) do not pay that fee but must still pay the $100,000 fee for a new petition.
H1B Visa Approval Trends
- The number of H-1B applications submitted has dramatically increased, reaching over 479,000 registrations in FY 2025, but the number of available visas remains capped at 85,000 annually
- The FY 2025 selection rate (chances of getting picked in the lottery) was about 21.8%, reflecting heightened competition compared to previous years
- Approval rates have improved post-2020, with FY 2025 H-1B petition approval rates around 97-98%, showing a significant drop in denials compared to earlier years where rejection rates exceeded 20%.
- Major tech companies (Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Apple) continue to dominate H-1B approvals, reflecting the concentration of H-1B usage in tech sectors
Top Tech Companies that Sponsored H1B Visas In 2025
| Company | H-1B Approvals |
|---|---|
| Amazon.com Services LLC | 10,044 |
| Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) | 5,505 |
| Microsoft Corporation | 5,189 |
| Meta Platforms Inc | 5,123 |
| Apple Inc | 4,202 |
| Google LLC | 4,181 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | 2,493 |
| Walmart Associates Inc | 2,390 |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | 2,353 |
| Amazon Web Services Inc | 2,347 |
| Oracle America Inc | 2,092 |
| Infosys | 2,004 |
| Capgemini America Inc | 1,844 |
| LTIMindtree LTD | 1,807 |
| HCL America Inc | 1,728 |
| Intel Corporation | 1,698 |
| IBM Corporation | 1,598 |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 1,570 |
| Source: | TOI |
Who Will Be Affected By the H1B Visa Fee Hike The Most?
Given the immigration trends of the USA, Indian IT companies are likely to be hit the hardest. These companies account for a majority of the H1B applications each year. A higher filing fee will be a financial strain for these companies.
Also See
- How to Apply for H1B Visa Extensions
- H1B Visa Petitions to be Submitted Electronically
- H1B Changes Announced in 2018 – A Complete List
- Will Citizenship get Easier for H1B Visa Holders?
- What Are The Common Reasons For USCIS Issuing An H1B RFE?
- Working In The USA – Is The Country Losing The Tech Edge?
