September 24th, 2025

The $100,000 Question: How New H-1B Fees May Impact Your Business

Last week, the White House announced a major change to the H-1B visa program, the system that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields. Starting September 21, 2025, any new H-1B petition for workers outside the U.S. must include a one-time $100,000 fee.

This fee is on top of the regular application costs and is meant to discourage overuse of the program, especially by large corporations that hire overseas talent instead of investing in American workers. The new rule does not apply to renewals or current H-1B visa holders already working in the U.S.

↗️ What This Could Mean for the Economy

For decades, the H-1B program has fueled growth in industries like technology, engineering, and medicine. But critics argue it has also lowered wages for U.S. workers and allowed corporations to rely too heavily on cheaper foreign labor.

This change could:

Slow the flow of new foreign workers, especially in entry-level or mid-level roles.
Push wages higher as companies look more seriously at hiring and training local talent.
Cause short-term disruptions for industries used to filling gaps quickly with overseas employees.

Economists are divided—some say it could make America more self-reliant, while others worry about talent shortages, especially in tech.

↗️ What This Means for Small Businesses Like Yours

If you’re a small business owner, you may not rely on H-1B workers the way big corporations do. But ripple effects could still reach you:

Competition for talent: With fewer H-1B workers available, large companies may recruit more aggressively at home, raising wages and making it harder for small businesses to compete for specialized employees.
New opportunities: On the flip side, a tighter labor market might encourage policymakers and job seekers to focus more on local small businesses, apprenticeship programs, and domestic hiring.
Potential inflation pressure: If wages and labor costs rise broadly, small businesses may see higher expenses across the board.

↗️ A Woke-Free Take

While big corporations have leaned on global labor markets to cut costs, small businesses rarely had that luxury. Many family-owned companies have always hired locally, invested in their communities, and relied on American know-how.

This policy shift could level the playing field just a bit—making sure the same big firms that lecture America on “equity” also have to put more skin in the game when it comes to hiring.

↗️ Final Thought

No one can predict exactly how this will play out. But what’s clear is that the landscape for hiring is changing, and small business owners should keep an eye on the ripple effects. Whether it leads to more opportunities for American workers or challenges in finding skilled help, it’s a reminder of why resilience and community-based hiring matter.

👉 At Buy Woke Free, we’ll continue to track policies like this that affect small businesses and local economies.