September 2025
H-1B Visa Fee 2025: Mitigating Risk in Tech Talent Acquisition
Top Insights: Navigating the H-1B Visa Fee in Tech Recruitment
- The $100K H-1B visa fee applies to new applications from outside the U.S. and is effective for one year starting September 21, 2025.
- Tech hiring managers face increased costs and reduced access to international talent, especially in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and data science.
- Companies are shifting focus to U.S.-authorized candidates, investing in STEM partnerships, and upskilling internal teams to maintain business continuity.
- Legal exemptions and documentation requirements are still under review - stay informed via USCIS, Department of State, and Department of Labor.
- Specialist tech recruiters like Glocomms can help navigate visa-related hiring challenges, build resilient teams, and align talent strategies with business goals.
On September 19, 2025, a presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications submitted from outside the United States. Effective for one year starting September 21, this policy excludes renewals and current visa holders. For technology hiring managers and recruiting agencies, this change presents new challenges in accessing global talent - particularly in high-demand areas like cybersecurity recruitment, cloud hiring, and data science roles.
Tech teams often rely on international professionals to fill roles that require niche expertise and certifications. The new fee may increase hiring costs, reduce access to overseas candidates, and disrupt workforce planning - especially for mid-level and technical roles that are critical to business continuity, digital transformation, and tech talent acquisition.
Global Talent Disruption: What’s at Risk for Tech Hiring
The H-1B fee could significantly impact hiring strategies for companies building secure, scalable, and data-driven systems. Cybersecurity teams, for example, often depend on international talent to manage threat detection, compliance, and incident response. Similarly, cloud engineers and data scientists with global experience play a key role in innovation and infrastructure resilience.
In response, many organizations are shifting focus toward candidates already authorized to work in the U.S. Others are investing in domestic partnerships with coding academies, STEM programs, and tech universities to build local pipelines. Upskilling internal teams is also becoming a strategic priority, helping companies maintain operational stability while navigating policy uncertainty.
Regulatory Complexity: What Tech Leaders Should Monitor
While the fee is active, several aspects remain under review:
- Whether exemptions will apply to critical infrastructure or cybersecurity roles
- Required documentation for visa applications
- Impacts on prevailing wage levels and compensation benchmarks.
Explore our Compensation Guides for the latest in industry salary and benefit benchmarks.
Legal challenges to the proclamation are ongoing. Tech hiring managers should stay informed via USCIS, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor. For legal commentary, visit the National Law Review.
Strategic Workforce Planning: Building Resilient Tech Teams
Rather than viewing the fee as a constraint, many tech organizations are using this moment to strengthen their workforce planning and talent acquisition strategies. Here are four strategic actions to consider:
1. Reassess Risk-Critical Roles
Identify roles essential to cybersecurity, infrastructure, and data governance. Prioritize continuity in these areas to avoid operational risk.
2. Strengthen Tech Education Partnerships
Collaborate with coding bootcamps, STEM programs, and universities to access emerging talent and support long-term pipeline development.
3. Invest in Internal Technical Development
Create career pathways for existing employees through certifications, mentorship, and cross-functional training. This helps retain talent and reduce reliance on external hires.
4. Align Mobility Strategy with Business Continuity Goals
Encourage collaboration across U.S.-based and international teams. Leveraging talent already in-country can help maintain agility while navigating visa-related constraints.
Conclusion: Navigating Tech Hiring Challenges with Confidence
The H-1B visa fee introduces new complexity for tech hiring - but also an opportunity to rethink how talent supports innovation, security, and scalability. By investing in domestic pipelines, strengthening partnerships, and staying informed, organizations can build resilient teams ready to thrive in a shifting global landscape.
Looking to safeguard your tech talent strategy? Request a call back to speak with a specialist tech recruiter at Glocomms.
FAQs: Tech Talent Acquisition & H-1B Visa Hiring Challenges
The fee may increase hiring costs and limit access to international talent, especially in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and data science. This creates challenges for companies relying on global expertise for critical roles.
Cybersecurity analysts, cloud engineers, and data scientists are among the most affected due to their reliance on global expertise. Specialist recruiters can help identify qualified talent already authorized to work in the U.S.
Recruiting agencies like Glocomms can help companies adapt by sourcing U.S.-authorized talent, advising on workforce planning, and identifying alternative hiring strategies to maintain business continuity.
To see how we can support your business visit our Technical Recruitment Services Page.
Companies can invest in internal upskilling, build partnerships with coding academies and universities, and work with specialist recruiters to access domestic talent pools.