US Considers Exempting Doctors from $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

The Trump administration may exclude physicians from the newly introduced $100,000 fee for high-skilled H-1B visa applications, the White House announced on Monday, following warnings from medical associations about deepening shortages in rural areas.

“The Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Bloomberg News in an email.

The executive order, released Friday, grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to waive the fee if employing a worker is deemed “in the national interest.” It remains unclear whether exemptions for doctors would apply broadly across the medical sector or be determined case by case.

Hospitals rely significantly on the H-1B program to recruit doctors to underserved communities facing acute provider shortages.

American Medical Association President, Bobby Mukkamala, described international medical graduates as “a critical part of our physician workforce.”

News of potential waivers lifted healthcare stocks: HCA Healthcare rose by as much as 1.4%, while Tenet Healthcare gained up to 3.1%.

Exemptions could prove particularly beneficial for rural communities, where doctor shortages are most pronounced. A 2024 government report projects a deficit of over 87,000 primary care physicians by 2037, with more than 76 million Americans currently living in federally designated shortage areas.

The American Hospital Association said it is reviewing the executive order’s impact and pledged to work with the administration “to stress the importance of including health care personnel in potential exemptions to these changes.”

Major medical centers such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are among the largest sponsors of H-1B visas. Mayo alone holds more than 300 approvals, meaning the new fee could add millions to labor costs if exemptions are not granted.

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