The $100,000 Question: What the H-1B Executive Order Really Means?

The U.S. immigration landscape just changed and not in a small way.

With the recent executive order increasing H-1B visa fees to nearly $100,000 for new petitions, employers and candidates alike are left asking: What now?

This created a buzz around the world. So, we thought of cutting the noise and putting the reality upfront. This move doesn’t end global hiring, but it does reshape the way companies and talent approach the U.S. job market.

Here's a quick breakdown of the order:

Let’s start simple.

What changed? A steep increase in filing fees for new H-1B petitions.
Who’s affected? Candidates applying for their first H-1B.
Who’s not? Renewals, extensions or amendments, they remain under the old structure.
When does it start? It applies going forward, not retroactively.

So if you’re already on an H-1B or in the middle of your process, you’re not suddenly on the hook for $100,000. This only affects new cases.

Debunking common misconceptions

Let’s clear up the biggest myths floating around LinkedIn feeds and social media:

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This kills all H-1Bs.
Not true. H-1Bs remain in place. This order only makes the first entry more expensive.

Companies will stop hiring globally.
Not really. Companies will still hire globally but they’ll be more selective about who they sponsor, and in many cases, they’ll shift to offshore hiring.

This only affects candidates.
Wrong again. The real weight of this cost falls on employers. Candidates feel the impact indirectly, through reduced sponsorship opportunities and tougher competition.

Implications for employers

For startups and scaling companies, this isn’t just about money. It’s about strategy.

• Barrier to entry: Sponsoring someone directly from abroad now carries a $100k price tag. That’s out of reach for most early-stage companies.
• Shift to local options: Expect more companies to recruit F-1 or OPT graduates already in the U.S., since they don’t require immediate sponsorship.
• Rise of offshore teams: Instead of paying $100k per hire, founders may find it more sustainable to build remote teams in talent-rich markets like Pakistan, India or Eastern Europe.

Implications for candidates

The impact is just as real for job seekers.

• Outside the U.S.? Breaking in just got harder. Employers will think long and hard before investing six figures into sponsoring you.
• Already in the U.S.? Students, OPT candidates and current visa holders suddenly have more leverage. You’re a lower-risk, lower-cost option for employers.
• Skills are everything. With stakes this high, companies will only justify sponsorship for candidates with rare, specialized or critical expertise. Mediocrity won’t cut it.

The Bigger Picture: A Market in Transition

Beyond founders and candidates, this order highlights a broader truth:
Hiring across borders has always carried hidden liabilities; visas, compliance, payroll, taxes. The new fee structure simply makes those costs visible.

And it may speed up a few big shifts:

• Distributed teams: More companies will hire offshore talent directly, bypassing the U.S. visa process altogether.
• Alternative destinations: Countries like Canada, the UK and Germany, with more open immigration pathways, may become more attractive destinations for global talent.
• Focus on sustainability: Quick hires at any cost are giving way to long-term, scalable workforce strategies.

Conclusion: What This Really Means

For founders:

Don’t think of this as a roadblock. Think of it as a signal to rethink how you scale globally. Offshore teams, compliance-friendly hiring models, and sustainable workforce planning are the real future.

For candidates:

This isn’t the end of opportunity, but the bar just got higher. Invest in your skills, position yourself strategically and understand that honesty about your strengths and limitations will matter more than ever.

The $100,000 question isn’t just about fees. It’s about how "companies" and "talent" adapt to a new reality in global hiring.