DHS’s New $103,265 H-1B Fee: How the Proposed Rule Differs From the $100,000 Proclamation Fee

On August 25, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would impose a $103,265 fee on H-1B cap-subject petitions. The timing is not a coincidence. It comes one month after the First Circuit refused to let the government reinstate the $100,000 fee created by last September’s presidential...

Just when employers thought they had a handle on the $100,000 H-1B fee, the litigation took another turn. On July 24, 2026, the First Circuit Court of Appeals declined to let the government reinstate the fee while its appeal plays out. A quick recap We’ve been tracking this fee since before it even took effect....