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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A bipartisan group of 100 lawmakers sent a letter on Wednesday to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging an exemption for the health care sector from the Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
Led by Representatives Yvette D. Clarke, a New York Democrat, and Michael Lawler, a New York Republican, the letter says that health care providers rely on international workers for critical roles, including physicians, clinical laboratory staff and other specialists.
"Imposing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions will exacerbate hospitals’ existing staffing challenges and could push chronically underfunded hospitals to their financial brink," the letter reads.
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"We urge you to create a health care sector exemption to prevent additional strain on the health care workforce," it says.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
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Why It Matters
The Trump administration is slapping a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa petitions as part of efforts to tighten control over the skilled worker program. The measure is intended to curb program misuse and encourage employers to hire higher-paid American workers. Supporters say H-1B visas help fill critical labor shortages in sectors such as health care, technology, and engineering, while critics argue the program can displace U.S. workers and undercut American wages.
What To Know
The letter to Noem was signed by 100 Members of Congress over concerns about the impact of the fee on the health care workforce. Signatories include Democratic lawmakers such as Kirsten Gillibrand, Judy Chu, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bennie Thompson, as well as Republican members including Brian Fitzpatrick, Thomas Kean Jr., Jefferson Van Drew and James Moylan.
Lawmakers warn that the fee could worsen staffing shortages by preventing hospitals from filling essential positions.
"Rural hospitals and urban safety net hospitals face uncommon recruitment and retention issues and will most acutely feel the effects of the $100,000 fee. These hospitals rely heavily on the H-1B visa to maintain adequate staffing and offer comprehensive services in high-need areas," the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers warn that the $100,000 fee could ultimately result in hospital funds being redirected away from patient care and recruitment, adding pressure to institutions that are already operating under constrained budgets.
"If these hospitals cannot petition for new H-1B visas to address their staffing needs without also having to pay this fee, it will further damage their financial viability. Critically needed open positions will simply go unfilled, leaving rural and high-poverty urban areas without adequate access to care," lawmakers said.
The letter comes just days after a Republican lawmaker introduced legislation aimed at permanently ending the H-1B visa program. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) proposed the Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions (EXILE) Act, citing concerns that the program prioritizes foreign workers over U.S. citizens. Steube argued that American workers, including young professionals, are being displaced in the workforce by H-1B visa holders.
Each fiscal year, 65,000 visas are available under the regular cap, with an additional 20,000 visas reserved for applicants holding advanced degrees from U.S. institutions. Certain employers, such as universities and nonprofit research organizations, are exempt from the cap.
Legal challenges to the Trump administration’s $100,000 H‑1B visa fee continue to progress. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., upheld the fee’s legality in December 2025 in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Association of American Universities, allowing it to remain in effect for now.
Following that decision, the Chamber and its partners filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit at the end of 2025. The appeals court has agreed to fast‑track the case and set an expedited briefing schedule. The appellate court’s decision will determine whether the fee stays in place, is blocked, or modified, and could influence how future H‑1B petitions are processed. Other separate lawsuits challenging the fee are also pending
What People Are Saying
The lawmakers wrote in the letter to Secretary Noem: "For over 30 years, health care employers have used the H-1B visa program to recruit and retain the finest international talent, positioning the U.S. as a global leader in health care delivery and innovation. Many members of the care team—including highly skilled physicians, advanced practice professionals, clinical laboratory workers, and researchers—come to the U.S. from around the world to offer specialized services, deliver care in underserved areas, and contribute to cutting-edge biomedical research."
Danielle Turnipseed, Chief Public Policy Officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, said in a press release: "The AAMC knows that restricting access to H1-B visas will worsen the nation’s existing physician shortage, put strains on the health care workforce and ultimately jeopardize patient access to care, and we simply can’t let any of those things happen."
René Bravo, MD, President of the California Medical Association, said in a press release: "A $100,000 fee on H-1B visas is not just excessive, it is a direct threat to patient access to care. Exempting the health care sector is squarely in the national interest and essential to protecting the stability of our workforce and the health of millions of patients."
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