100 US lawmakers seek H-1B fee relief, citing potential staffing crises

WASHINGTON: A bipartisan group of 100 members of Congress has urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to exempt the health care sector from a new $100,000 fee on employers petitioning for H-1B visas, warning it could deepen staffing shortages and limit access to care across the US.

In a letter dated February 11, lawmakers said they were “deeply concerned about the impact of the September 19 Presidential Proclamation, ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,’ on the health care workforce.”

The proclamation imposes a $100,000 fee on employers seeking new H-1B visas but allows the DHS secretary to grant sector-wide exemptions if it “is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.”

“We urge you to create a health care sector exemption to prevent additional strain on the health care workforce,” the lawmakers wrote.