US Launches Project Firewall to Tighten H-1B Visa Enforcement, Impose $100K Fee

The Trump administration has launched Project Firewall, a stringent H-1B visa enforcement initiative aimed at preventing misuse of the program and ensuring that highly skilled jobs prioritize American workers. The program, led personally by U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, involves strict compliance checks and severe penalties for employers who violate H-1B visa regulations, including back wages, fines, and temporary bans from the program. Concurrently, an executive order mandates a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions, a move designed to deter abuse but criticized as a potential barrier to recruiting global talent, particularly impacting Indian professionals who constitute the majority of H-1B recipients. The initiative reflects a broader Trump administration policy to protect domestic labor markets by holding employers accountable and prioritizing U.S. workers in skilled sectors. The enforcement will involve federal agencies working together to monitor and penalize non-compliance, while also providing assistance to employers through toll-free helplines. This overhaul is expected to reshape hiring practices and migration trends, with some foreign professionals considering alternative countries for opportunities due to the increased costs and stricter regulations.