<h1>Presidential proclamation requires $100,000 one-time payment with new H-1B petitions filed after Sept 21, 2025; exemptions apply</h1> A presidential proclamation requires a one-time USD 100,000 payment to accompany any new H-1B visa petition submitted after 12:01 am EDT on September 21, 2025, covering the FY2026 lottery and subsequent new filings; the fee does not apply to petitions filed before that cutoff, previously issued H-1B visas, renewals, or reentries. The proclamation authorises DHS and the State Department to coordinate implementation; additional reforms include Department of Labor rulemaking to raise prevailing wages and DHS rulemaking to prioritise higher-paid, higher-skilled registrants in the H-1B lottery. The fee is intended as an initial, incremental reform to curb program abuses.