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News travels fast in the global tech community, and the latest update has sent ripples across borders: the U.S. has introduced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications. For decades, the H-1B visa has been the most coveted route for skilled professionals seeking opportunities in the United States. It promised access to some of the world’s biggest companies, competitive salaries, and the prestige of working at the heart of global innovation. But with this new fee, the landscape has changed drastically.
For professionals who once viewed relocation as the ultimate career milestone, the barrier is now higher than ever. A six-figure application cost is not just prohibitive for individual applicants; it’s a deterrent for the very companies that once actively sponsored foreign workers. Yet, while this move may feel like a closed door, it has opened a wide window in another direction: remote work.
U.S. companies still need global talent. They still need engineers, designers, marketers, and managers who can drive innovation forward. What’s shifting is how they access that talent. Instead of bringing professionals into the U.S., they’ll increasingly rely on distributed teams, hiring directly across borders. For skilled professionals, this means one thing: it’s time to position yourself for the remote influx.
This blog will walk you through what the H-1B visa is, what the new policy means, and how you can adapt by presenting yourself as a valuable remote professional.
What is the H-1B Visa?
The H-1B visa is one of the most well-known employment-based visas in the United States. It was created to help U.S. companies address gaps in their workforce by hiring highly skilled professionals from around the world. Over time, it has become particularly associated with fields like software engineering, data science, healthcare, research, and other knowledge-intensive industries where demand for expertise consistently outpaces domestic supply.
The structure of the visa is straightforward but highly regulated. A U.S. employer must first sponsor a foreign worker by filing a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If approved, the visa allows the worker to live and work in the U.S. for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of extending up to six. The worker’s status is directly tied to their employer, meaning a change of jobs requires a transfer process and continued sponsorship.
What makes the H-1B especially competitive is its strict annual cap. Each year, USCIS opens a limited window to accept registrations, followed by a lottery system that determines who will even be considered. While hundreds of thousands of applications are filed annually, only about 85,000 visas are available. This imbalance has made the H-1B one of the most oversubscribed visa categories in the world.
Beyond the numbers, the program has played an important role in shaping the global workforce. For U.S. companies, it has been a way to attract top international talent, fill critical skills shortages, and maintain competitiveness in industries that evolve quickly. For professionals abroad, it has represented access to some of the most advanced markets in the world, often with opportunities that were not available in their home countries.
It is this combination (high demand, limited supply, and high stakes) that has made the H-1B such a central topic in conversations about global work and immigration policy. And with the recent changes to its cost, its future role is now being questioned.
The new $100,000 H-1B fee: What it means
The introduction of the $100,000 fee changes the H-1B conversation from one about competitiveness to one about cost. Until now, the main challenge for foreign professionals has been winning the lottery. Now, the greater challenge may be whether companies are even willing to submit petitions at all.
For U.S. employers
The new fee is paid by the sponsoring company, not the applicant. This means employers must justify spending six figures before a single candidate has even started work. For large tech firms that sponsor thousands of employees, the cost could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Smaller companies, meanwhile, may find sponsorship completely out of reach. The result is simple: fewer companies will take the financial risk.
For global professionals
The reduction in sponsorship opportunities directly impacts skilled workers abroad. Even highly qualified candidates may no longer receive the chance to relocate because employers cannot justify the upfront expense. The lottery will still exist, but fewer entries will be submitted, and the dream of moving to the U.S. through the H-1B route will narrow further.
For the broader market
The demand for talent in the U.S. remains unchanged. Tech companies in particular continue to face shortages in areas such as software engineering, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. What changes is the channel. Instead of paying six figures for sponsorship, companies are more likely to expand their global hiring footprint and build distributed teams that operate remotely.
How to position yourself for the remote influx
If fewer companies are willing to pay six figures to bring talent into the U.S., the logical alternative is to keep that talent where it already is. Remote work becomes the bridge between global demand and local opportunity.
So how do you position yourself to take advantage of this shift? It starts with reframing how you present your skills and how you operate as a professional. U.S. companies are not just looking for talent, they’re looking for talent that thrives remotely. That means showcasing not only technical ability but also adaptability, communication, and self-management.
Here are the key ways to stand out in the new remote-first landscape:
🔗ICYMI, we have a blog on how to land your first remote job in 2025.
How to get paid for U.S. remote work opportunities
Now that you’ve positioned yourself as a remote professional, the next step is making sure you’re fully prepared to work with international companies, both in how you present your skills and how you handle the practical side of getting paid.
One common challenge is payments. Many U.S. companies prefer to pay in USD, and other clients might prefer GBP or EUR. As a remote worker, you need a seamless way to receive those funds without losing money to unnecessary fees or waiting weeks for transfers. That’s where Geegpay comes in. With Geegpay, you can:
Think of it like this: you land a remote contract → your client pays you in USD → the funds arrive in your Geegpay account → you withdraw or spend as needed. Simple, secure, and built for global professionals. Ready to set yourself up for that first payment? Create your Geegpay account today.
The $100,000 H-1B fee may have raised the barrier to relocation, but it hasn’t closed the door to opportunity. The future of global work is remote, and those who prepare now will be the ones best positioned to thrive in it.
If relocation is still a priority for you, another pathway is education. A student visa remains one of the most accessible routes into the U.S., and choosing the right institution can make the process more affordable. We’ve written a detailed guide on the best U.S. universities with affordable tuition. It is a practical starting point if studying your way into opportunity feels right for you.
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