H-1B Visa Application System and Fee Changes

Starting March 20, 2025, the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system will delete H-1B Visa application records older than five years, in line with the National Archives and Record Administrations Records Schedule. Concurrently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will implement a new H-1B registration system that prioritizes selecting individual beneficiaries over multiple applications from various employers, with registration fees increasing from $10 to $215. Proposed immigration reforms, led by Republicans, could require higher wages for H-1B holders, potentially pricing out skilled foreign workers and leading companies to hire offshore. These wage increases, such as the 'median local wage', could significantly impact hiring practices for recent graduates and early-career professionals. The legislative push aims to balance the influx of high-skilled immigrants with the need to prevent market distortions due to wage mandates. Companies worry that these reforms might make the H-1B program less viable, despite the potential for increased visa numbers.