DHS is proposing a new $103,265 fee for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption. The fee would be due when the petition is filed and would be in addition to all other applicable H-1B filing fees and payments. DHS says the revenue would help offset federal costs associated with administering the lawful immigration system, including benefit adjudications, fraud and national security screening, technology modernization, immigration court operations, consular processing, labor enforcement, and interagency coordination. Based on approximately 85,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions annually, DHS estimates the fee could generate roughly $8.8 billion per year. The proposed additional fee would not apply to H-1B petitions that are exempt from the annual cap, including qualifying petitions filed by certain institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and governmental research organizations. The annual H-1B cap would remain 65,000 regular cap visas plus an additional 20,000 for individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Importantly, this is currently a proposed rule, meaning the $103,265 fee has not yet become a final, effective requirement.