What’s going on: Two different H-1B “six-figure fee” stories have merged into one panic online, and the videos rarely separate them. There’s a $100,000 figure from a September 2025 presidential proclamation, and a separate $103,265 fee in a proposed rule published 25 August 2026. They are not the same thing.
What it means if you’re on an H-1B: Whether either touches you depends on the details the videos skip — cap-subject vs cap-exempt, a new petition vs an extension, and whether the measure is actually in effect or still just proposed or tied up in court. Getting that wrong is the difference between “budget six figures” and “this doesn’t apply to me.”
What the documents actually say
| $100,000 | 2025 proclamation — challenged in court [VERIFY current status] |
| $103,265 | Aug 2026 proposed rule — comment deadline 24 Sep 2026, not yet in effect |
| Cap-exempt filings | Excluded from the proposed $103,265 fee |
The honest state: As of writing, the $103,265 amount is a proposal, not law, and the $100,000 proclamation fee has faced legal challenge. [VERIFY the latest court status before relying on this.]
[Editor adds a named attorney read here before publishing.]
What to do next:
- Before reacting to a video, check whether it means the proclamation or the proposed rule — different rules, different dates.
- Ask your employer’s immigration counsel which, if any, applies to your specific petition.
Primary source: Federal Register — Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions
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