Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

Presidential proclamation restricting entry of new H-1B specialty occupation workers unless their petitions are accompanied by a $100,000 payment, effective 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2025, for 12 months absent extension. The proclamation states that the H-1B program has been exploited to replace American workers with lower-paid labor, citing that the share of IT workers in the program grew from 32 percent in FY 2003 to an average of over 65 percent in the last five fiscal years. It also cites a Federal Reserve Bank of New York study showing 6.1 percent unemployment for computer science and 7.5 percent for computer engineering graduates ages 22 to 27. The Secretary of Labor is directed to revise prevailing wage levels, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid admissions.