The H-1B visa program is how a lot of tech companies bring in skilled workers from other countries. And the rules around it are about to change.
The White House just signed off on a Department of Homeland Security proposal that updates the fees companies pay when they petition for H-1B workers. It is one step closer to becoming official, and it comes as the government tightens its grip on the program.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the White House office that reviews federal rules, approved the DHS proposal. That clears the way for the rule to be published publicly, which is the next step before it takes effect.
The rule itself is tracked as RIN 1615-AD20. That number matters because it lets anyone follow the rule's progress through the federal system.
This is not happening in a vacuum. The Trump administration has been actively working on the H-1B program for a while now. Last year, it slapped a $100,000 fee on companies hiring workers from outside the U.S. That fee was a big deal for tech firms, which rely heavily on H-1B visas to fill engineering and other specialized roles.
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The H-1B update is not the only visa-related fee rule moving through the system. DHS also sent a separate final rule to the White House that deals with the EB-5 investor visa program.
The EB-5 program lets foreign investors get a green card in exchange for putting money into U.S. projects that create jobs. The new rule, tracked as RIN 1615-AC93, addresses the fees those investors pay.
Back in October, the government proposed cutting the fee for the I-526 petition, which is the form immigrant investors file to start the EB-5 process. That proposal also formalized parts of a 2022 law that reauthorized the program.
If you are an investor, you might be wondering why visa fees matter to your portfolio. The short answer is that they matter to the companies you own.
Tech companies have been the biggest users of the H-1B program for years. When the cost of hiring goes up, that hits their bottom line. A $100,000 fee for workers hired from outside the U.S. is not pocket change, and it can push companies to rethink where they put their jobs or how they staff projects.
The EB-5 changes are more niche, but they matter for anyone invested in real estate or development funds. EB-5 money has funded a lot of commercial projects, and lower filing fees could make the program more attractive to foreign investors. That could mean more capital flowing into U.S. development.
The H-1B rule still needs to go through a public comment period before it becomes final, with a target date of August 20, 2026. That gives companies time to adjust their hiring plans and gives investors time to watch how it all shakes out.
The bottom line: Visa policy is not just a political story. It is a business story that shows up in hiring costs, project funding, and eventually stock prices. Keep an eye on these rules as they move through the pipeline.
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