The White House published a presidential proclamation extending for 12 months the restriction on entry of certain H-1B specialty occupation workers. From Sept. 21, 2026, petitions for affected workers outside the United States must be accompanied or supplemented by a USD 100,000 payment, unless the Department of Homeland Security determines that an individual, company or industry qualifies for a national interest exception and poses no threat to US security or welfare. Employers must retain proof of payment, while the Department of State must verify payment before approving the related visa application. The administration attributed the extension to persistent labor market and program integrity concerns, despite changes following the original 2025 restriction and a weighted selection process favoring higher-skilled and higher-paid applicants. Combined registrations from the largest information technology staffing and outsourcing firms fell 92%, from 24,946 to 2,055, while consular processing requests declined nearly 97% between the fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027 cap seasons. The share of registrants with at least a US master’s degree rose from 45.1% for fiscal 2026 to 66.1% for fiscal 2027, and the USD 100,000 payment has been made for more than 700 petitions. Within 30 days after the completion of the next H-1B lottery, the secretaries of state, labor and homeland security and the attorney general must jointly recommend whether a further extension or renewal would serve US interests.
2026-09-18The White House
US White House extends USD 100,000 payment condition for certain H-1B entries by 12 months
The White House extended for 12 months the restriction requiring a USD 100,000 payment for petitions covering certain H-1B workers entering the United States, subject to limited national interest exceptions. The administration cited persistent labor market concerns despite a 92% decline in registrations from the largest IT staffing and outsourcing firms and a shift toward higher-skilled, higher-paid applicants.