US signals exemptions for doctors from $100K H-1B visa surcharge: Reports

The White House has signalled that physicians and medical residents could be exempted from the newly introduced $100,000 (₹88 lakh) surcharge on H-1B visa petitions, as per reports. 

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers reportedly told Bloomberg News that the proclamation signed by President Donald Trump “allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents”.

The Trump administration recently confirmed that the $100,000 surcharge will apply only to first-time H-1B applicants and will be charged once per petition. 

According to officials, the measure signed into effect on Saturday directs US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to collect the one-time fee on all new H-1B employment-based petitions filed after September 21. Existing visa holders, renewals, and already approved petitions will not be affected.

The executive order also provides that the US Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the fee if hiring certain workers is deemed “in the national interest”. Reports suggest this clause opens the door for exemptions covering physicians and other critical workers.

Medical groups have voiced concern over the surcharge, with the American Medical Association’s President Bobby Mukkamala warning that such a steep fee risks disrupting the pipeline of highly trained doctors, particularly in rural and underserved communities.