Big changes are coming to the United States’ H-1B visa, and that might mean big changes for Canadians, too.
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President Donald Trump’s recent application fee hike has non-U.S. workers– as well as companies– worried about the future of their career landscapes.
WHAT IS THE H-1B VISA?
The H-1B visa is a type of visa meant for non-immigrants that give U.S. companies the allowance to hire high-skill foreign workers. Generally, these are meant for specialty positions that may take much time and effort to fill. Tech industries are particular fans of the H-1B visa.
The annual fee for an H-1B visa ranges around $1,700 to $4,500, although getting one to begin with is very difficult. Only 65,000 are issued each year by the U.S., as well as 20,000 for those with a master’s or PHD from an American university. The visas are doled out through a lottery system, making an already-coveted opportunity even more difficult to get.
On Friday, September 19, Trump signed the “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” Proclamation that brings a major new requirement to the visa.
TRUMP’S ENTRY RESTRICTION PROCLAMATION
The biggest change coming to the H-1B visa is its price hike. Companies will now have to fork over $100,000 “to accompany any new H-1B visa positions.” To say that is a massive cost increase would be an understatement.
The Proclamation does not apply to any previously-issued visas, as well as any petitions that were submitted before September 21, 2025. According to the FAQ for the H-1B visa, “the [$100,000] fee is a one-time fee on submission of a new H-1B petition.”
WHAT DOES THE NEW H-1B VISA MEAN FOR CANADIAN WORKERS?
For Canadians looking to work in the U.S. through the H-1B visa, this isn’t a great situation. There is a chance that Canadians will still be hired with the visa, but that hinges on whether or not their company is willing to sponsor them. The odds will vary depending on the company and sector they work in.
Although, Canadians only make up a fraction of the U.S. ‘s H-1B visa holders. The majority are from India at 71%, with China following at 11.7%. Canada lags behind at just 1.1% for all of 2024.
This is partially due to the existence of TN visas, which allow Canadian and Mexican citizens to work and live in the U.S. for up to three years. These visas can go for as cheap as US$56 and can be renewed repeatedly. These visas do not open pathways to citizenship, but for Canadians who just want to work, this may be the next best solution.
Since Canadians have other, less costly avenues to working in the U.S., the H-1B visa is far more of a problem for countries besides Canada. In fact, U.S. companies may opt to hire more through TN visas as opposed to H-1B visas. Although, the future remains unclear in the price hike’s early stages for the H-1B visa for Canadian workers.
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