WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. lawmakers is urging the Trump administration to exempt health care professionals from a new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, warning that the policy is placing additional strain on hospitals and could worsen already severe workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, members of the New Democrat Coalition and other lawmakers said the fee, imposed under a presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, threatens access to medical care by discouraging hospitals from recruiting and retaining doctors and specialists trained abroad.
“As Members of Congress, access to health care is one of our top priorities,” the lawmakers wrote.
“The Proclamation issued September 19, 2025, poses a serious threat to the healthcare workforce in our districts. Fewer healthcare workers means higher costs, longer wait times, and greater distance travelled for our constituents to access the care they need. We urge the administration to prevent any disruptions in access to care and exempt health care professionals from these fees,” the letter said.
Under the proclamation, certain H-1B visa petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, must include an additional $100,000 payment, a steep increase from the previous $215 registry fee. Health care leaders have warned that the added cost and uncertainty are already deterring hospitals from hiring foreign-trained physicians and specialists.
Local providers, including paediatricians from Akron Children’s Hospital, told lawmakers that the fee is making it harder to recruit doctors, particularly in paediatric and specialty care. They said rural hospitals, which already face limited infrastructure, transportation barriers, and a smaller pool of local professionals, are especially vulnerable.
“The current H-1B fee is cost-prohibitive and will exponentially magnify our workforce shortage in the coming years,” said Dr Shefali Mahesh, Paediatrician in Chief at Akron Children’s Hospital. “This will force children’s hospitals to consolidate services and reduce access to the most vulnerable. It would be in the best interest of US children to provide an exemption to the H-1B fees for health care professionals.”
The lawmakers cited federal workforce data showing that shortages are already acute. Estimates from the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate that 13,075 additional physicians are needed to eliminate primary care shortage designations nationwide, with the shortfall projected to grow to 87,150 by 2037. Nurses, behavioural health professionals, pediatric specialists, and laboratory personnel are also in short supply.
They emphasized that the H-1B program does not displace U.S. workers but instead helps sustain the health care system. In 2024, lawmakers noted, 16,937 of roughly 400,000 approved H-1B petitions were for medicine and health professionals. Losing even a portion of these workers, they argued, would further strain hospitals already facing rising costs.
The letter also warned that the new visa fee comes as providers are under financial pressure from Medicaid cuts under the “Big Ugly Law” and the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Rural and underserved providers, many already at risk of closure, would be hit hardest by the additional costs.
“We cannot afford to lose any additional healthcare workers,” the lawmakers wrote, adding that they remain committed to working with the administration and Congress to address workforce shortages and invest in domestic training.
Led by Representatives Emilia Sykes and Terri Sewell, the letter was signed by more than two dozen members of Congress, including Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ted Lieu, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Kim Schrier. (Source: IANS)
