Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Threatens Rural Schools and Hospitals Reliant on Immigrant Workers
A coalition sued to stop the $100,000 H-1B fee, citing risks to rural schools and hospitals that depend on immigrant workers amid projected physician shortages, the AMA said.
- On September 19, the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, and the American Hospital Association warned it could block hospitals from recruiting essential staff.
- Rob Coverdale, superintendent of the K-12 Crow Creek Tribal School, filled 15 vacancies within nine months by hiring Filipino teachers mostly on H-1B visas, including Mary Joy Ponce-Torres.
- The American Medical Association projects a physician shortage and notes one-quarter of U.S. physicians are international medical graduates, while Bobby Mukkamala called the fee a `huge problem` for health care.
- A coalition of health care providers, religious groups and educators filed a lawsuit on Friday to stop the H-1B fee, while Sean Rickert said he would stop seeking H-1B teachers if imposed.
- Towns like Stephan, South Dakota struggle to attract workers due to isolation, making immigrant hires vital, while leading medical societies urge exemptions for immigrant health care workers.
56 Articles
56 Articles
When Rob Coverdale began his work in 2023 as an Superintendent of Tribal Crow Creek K-12 School in South Dakota, there were 15 vacant teaching posts. In nine months, he had filled those vacancies with Filipino teachers, most of whom arrived with an H-1B visa, a visa for skilled workers in specialized occupations. “We hired teachers on an H-1B visa because we simply didn’t have other applicants for those positions,” Coverdale said. “So, of course…
Trump's new H-1B visa fee raises concerns for international students
WINGATE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – International students about to graduate are scrambling to figure out what to do when they finish school. It comes after the Trump administration announced a requirement late last month for a $100,000 application fee on professional work visas. Queen City News spoke with a student who attends Wingate University and is about to graduate in December. His plans to continue working in America got derailed after the …
Meet the rural school district that used H-1B visas to hire Filipino teachers because 'we quite simply didn’t have other applicants'
When Rob Coverdale started his job in 2023 as superintendent of the K-12 Crow Creek Tribal School in South Dakota, there were 15 unfilled teaching positions. Within nine months, he had filled those vacancies with Filipino teachers, the majority of whom arrived on the H-1B, a visa for skilled workers in specialty occupations. “We’ve hired the H-1B teachers because we quite simply didn’t have other applicants for those positions,” Coverdale said. …
Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee threatens rural schools, hospitals
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — When Rob Coverdale started his job in 2023 as superintendent of the K-12 Crow Creek Tribal School in South Dakota, there were 15 unfilled teaching positions. Within nine months, he had filled those vacancies with Filipino teachers, the majority of whom arrived on the H-1B, a visa for skilled workers in specialty occupations. “We’ve hired the H-1B teachers because we quite simply didn’t have other applicants for those position…
Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee hike could hit rural schools, challenge universities
Some schools told NYT that the fee hike would make it very difficult for them to find teachers for some critical roles. Some leaders also said that it would make institutions ‘less competitive’

Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee threatens rural schools and hospitals reliant on immigrant workers
The new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas spells trouble for rural parts of the U.S. that rely on immigrants to fill vacancies in skilled professions.
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