Bipartisan bill proposes to waive $100,000 H-1B visa fee for medical personnel.
Key Takeaways
- A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House would exempt physicians and other healthcare workers from paying H‑1B application fees reportedly as high as $100,000.
- Sponsors include Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke; advocates say the fee hike is worsening medical staffing shortages.
- It has been reported that the fee change took effect last September and prompted hospitals to ask DHS for exemptions; those requests have not been granted.
- Medical groups including the AMA and the Greater New York Hospital Association warn the fee could reduce recruitment of international medical graduates who staff underserved areas.
What the bill would do
The bill, introduced March 18 by Rep. Mike Lawler (R‑NY) and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D‑NY) and described as bipartisan, seeks to exempt physicians and other healthcare professionals from newly imposed H‑1B program fees that it has been reported can reach up to $100,000 per petition. The H‑1B visa allows U.S. employers to hire foreign nationals in specialty occupations; petitions are adjudicated by USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) under rules set by DHS (Department of Homeland Security). The proposed exemption would remove the high statutory or regulatory charge for qualifying healthcare hires so hospitals and community clinics are not forced to pay those costs when sponsoring foreign clinicians.
Why supporters say it’s needed
Healthcare groups and lawmakers argue the fees are accelerating workforce shortages. It has been reported that many hospitals have paused or limited hiring of foreign physicians because of the fee increase; the Greater New York Hospital Association told reporters that about 25% of institutions surveyed have cut back recruitment of foreign doctors. The American Medical Association notes roughly one-quarter of U.S. practicing physicians are international medical graduates, many of whom work in high‑poverty and rural counties where access to care is already thin. Rep. Lawler warned that hospitals and community health centers “cannot afford $100,000 per foreign employee” and that without a clear exemption, medical staff could be effectively shut out of the H‑1B program.
What this means for immigrants and patients now
If the bill becomes law, hospitals and clinics would face lower barriers to sponsoring H‑1B physicians, likely increasing hiring and improving care access in underserved areas. For individual applicants, the exemption wouldn’t change visa adjudication rules or processing times — USCIS processing timelines, premium processing options, and visa caps would still apply — but it could make sponsorship more likely. If the bill fails, employers may continue to defer hires or shift staffing plans, potentially leaving international medical graduates and the patients they serve at a disadvantage. It has been reported that healthcare employers previously petitioned DHS for relief; until a legislative fix or a regulatory reversal occurs, uncertainty and financial strain on recruitment persist.
Source: Original Article