On September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump extended an executive order that imposes a $100,000 fee for H-1B non-immigrant visas by another year. The H-1B program, established in 1990, allows US employers to hire skilled foreign workers, especially in tech. Trump wants to permanently raise the fee from $2,000-$5,000 to at least $100,000, but the move faces legal challenges. A federal judge deemed the higher fee illegal, and appeals are ongoing. The extension does not apply to student visa holders or renewals. Business groups support the program, while critics say it undercuts American workers.
We’ll perform a deep-dive analysis of all sources and publicly available external materials, then prepare a structured timeline of events, an in-depth report explaining the background and context, and multiple perspectives.