<h1>President signals conditional H-1B support while tightening rules, $100K fee and investigations target alleged employer abuses</h1> The President signaled conditional support for the H-1B program, arguing the US must import specialized talent while criticizing attempts to place long-unemployed workers into highly technical roles. The administration has tightened H-1B rules, issuing a proclamation requiring an extra $100,000 payment for certain petitions filed after Sept. 21, 2025, and launching roughly 175 investigations into alleged abuses (low wages, nonexistent worksites, benching). The Labour Department and its leadership frame these actions as enforcement to protect American jobs and prioritize hiring domestic workers, while acknowledging some foreign-skilled workers remain necessary for complex manufacturing and high-skilled roles.