A bipartisan group of 100 US lawmakers has called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to exempt the health care sector from a newly introduced $100,000 fee on employers filing new H-1B visa petitions. They warned that the additional financial burden could worsen staffing shortages and restrict access to medical care across the country.
In a letter dated February 11, members of Congress expressed “deep concern” over the September 19 Presidential Proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” The order imposes a $100,000 fee on employers seeking new H-1B visas. However, it allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary to grant exemptions to specific sectors if deemed in the national interest and not harmful to US security or welfare.
Lawmakers urged DHS to create a health care exemption, arguing that the sector is already under severe strain. Citing data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), they noted that nearly 87 million Americans live in federally designated shortage areas lacking adequate medical professionals. They also highlighted projections showing that physician demand could outpace supply by up to 86,000 over the next decade. Additionally, clinical laboratory science programs are reportedly producing less than half the professionals required to meet national needs.
The letter emphasized that domestic hiring alone cannot address these gaps. Restricting access to international health care workers, lawmakers warned, would further weaken hospitals and research institutions—particularly those serving rural and underserved communities. Many international professionals contribute significantly not only to patient care but also to biomedical research.
“Health care organizations must be able to recruit staff in the most cost-effective manner so they can direct resources toward patient care,” the lawmakers wrote. They cautioned that rural hospitals and urban safety-net hospitals would be hit hardest by the $100,000 fee, potentially pushing already underfunded institutions closer to financial collapse.
The appeal was led by Representatives Yvette D. Clarke and Michael Lawler and signed by a broad bipartisan coalition in both the House and Senate, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Major health organizations, such as the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Greater New York Hospital Association, and the California Medical Association, have also backed the request.
The H-1B visa program enables US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields. Indian nationals receive the majority of H-1B approvals annually, many of whom work in technology, health care, and research sectors.
Debate over H-1B policies has intensified in recent years amid broader immigration restrictions and workforce challenges. Health care leaders continue to argue that international medical graduates and specialists are essential to maintaining services in rural and high-need communities across the United States.
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