Latest Updates and Alternatives to Consider
The U.S. government made major changes to the H-1B visa program which started in September 2025. The modifications will create significant impacts on how businesses conduct foreign talent recruitment and selection and maintenance processes.
What’s New?
The H-1B petition process will need a single payment of US $100,000 for all new applications submitted after September 21 2025. The H-1B selection process has undergone modifications as part of the new regulations. The current random lottery system will give way to a wage-weighted model which gives preference to higher-paid positions while making it harder for lower-wage sponsorships to succeed. Prevailing wage levels across H-1B categories are also due to increase and enforcement of compliance is being strengthened. The new regulations introduce essential modifications regarding U.S. employer recruitment of international employees.
Why This Matters for People Teams
For HR and talent acquisition functions, the message is clear: organisations must prepare for higher costs, increased wage expectations and greater uncertainty around visa approvals. The H-1B route requires you to review your budget plans and evaluate the importance of roles, your project timelines and strategic approach. In this article we will cover: The new H-1B regulations introduce major alterations which affect both employers and their talent acquisition methods. How the changes could influence your global hiring strategy The following alternatives should be considered for international recruitment. The United States government provides H-1B Visas to international workers who seek employment in the United States. The H-1B visa program exists to support foreign workers in specialty occupations which include technology and engineering and healthcare fields.
The H-1B visa program enables foreign workers to stay in the United States for six years before they must transition to different visa categories or apply for permanent residency. The H-1B visa status functions as a non-immigrant visa which prevents foreign workers from obtaining permanent U.S. residency. The visa enables foreign employees to stay in the United States for temporary work periods while they achieve their professional objectives.
Foreign workers actively pursue the H-1B visa because it enables them to work in America while acquiring essential work experience. The H-1B visa program faces ongoing criticism because some people believe it benefits large corporations at the expense of American job opportunities. The H-1B visa serves as a vital resource for international professionals who wish to work in the United States despite ongoing program challenges. The H-1B visa allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled professionals from overseas when suitably qualified U.S. workers are not available. While it is strongly associated with STEM fields, it is used across a wide range of specialist roles. Each year the number of H-1B visas issued is capped, and demand consistently exceeds supply. Organisations develop their global hiring frameworks based on this competition.
What Has Changed: Key Policy Updates
US $100,000 Fee on New Petitions
From 21 September 2025, new H-1B petitions will require a US $100,000 fee. The new policy maintains its impact on all applications and petitions submitted after the effective date but leaves renewal applications and petitions filed before the effective date unaffected.
Shift to Wage-Weighted Selection
The existing randomised selection process is being replaced with a system giving higher selection priority to petitions with higher salary levels. These salary bands align to the U.S. Department of Labor wage statistics system (Levels I-IV). Higher wage levels enable people to access better job opportunities.
Higher Prevailing Wages + Stronger Enforcement
The government plans to increase prevailing wage standards and extend its oversight of compliance through initiatives such as “Project Firewall”. The new law introduces major alterations which impact both workplace operations for employers and their workforce. The changes create more uncertainty for workers because they expect sponsorship but their employers might decrease their support for new hires or increase the required salary levels. Employers must determine which roles qualify for sponsorship while they need to adjust pay rates for vital positions that require H-1B sponsorship and review their worldwide relocation plans and their connected security aspects. Specific implications include: Current H-1B holders and renewals are not generally affected if filed before 21 September 2025. New applicants in lower-salary roles may face much lower selection odds and the US$100k cost introduces a much higher strategic decision point. Organisations that plan to hire H-1B workers need to identify their most important positions for visa sponsorship which should focus on senior and strategic roles.
Alternative Visa Options to Consider
The company has four options to bring in employees through L-1 (Intracompany Transfers), TN (Canada/Mexico under USMCA), O-1 (Extraordinary Ability) or Remote Hiring without relocation. The following section describes the process of implementing different global talent acquisition approaches. The H-1B route continues to be a well-known entry method into the United States but a combination of routes seems more suitable at present. Employers must keep their H-1B sponsorship for vital positions active while they create remote work systems for other positions and search for different visa options. The proactive planning method maintains commercial requirements in line with mobility needs, compliance standards and cost factors.
How Alchemy Can Help
Alchemy is a global recruitment agency with over 30 years’ experience supporting international organisations across both specialist and broad skill areas. Our company works with businesses that want to enter new markets or recruit staff from abroad to find affordable international talent. Alchemy supports compliant hiring across the UK, EMEA, USA, JAPAC and LATAM without the need for you to set up a local legal entity. Through our Employer of Record (EOR) partners, we handle global payroll, benefits, legal compliance, immigration advisory and entity set-up considerations. Alchemy provides support to businesses which seek to hire candidates from across the globe or need assistance with their global recruitment operations.
