Accenture’s chief executive, Julie Sweet, told investors the new $100,000 one-time fee for new H-1B visas is a “non-issue” for the consulting giant, even as newly compiled petition counts and cost modeling suggest the policy could reshape hiring choices and client pricing across the IT services market.
Sweet made the remarks during the company’s Q4 2025 earnings call, emphasizing that only about 5% of Accenture’s U.S. workforce holds H-1B status and that these employees tend to be in highly specialized roles. She framed regulatory changes as an opportunity to help clients adjust rather than a threat to Accenture’s operations.
Public visa records indicate Accenture remains a major user of the program, which means fee and process changes still matter. In the first half of 2025, Accenture filed 1,568 H-1B visa petitions, placing it among the year’s top 25 sponsors. With the new fee slated to take effect in September 2025, each newly sponsored professional could carry a six-figure surcharge before considering legal, filing, and compliance costs.
Industry analysts expect many firms to pass 30% to 70% of the added cost on to clients through higher billing rates or project fees. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, larger companies may be able to smooth out the shock, but pricing and staffing choices are still likely to shift.
What Accenture Says
Sweet’s message was straightforward: H-1B workers are a small slice of Accenture’s U.S. team, and the company has the scale to manage policy swings.
- She highlighted the 5% figure and noted most H-1B workers are concentrated in specialized roles.
- Sweet described the regulatory change as a potential business opening for Accenture, which advises clients on complex rules and helps keep projects on track.
- She said the policy does not pose a material risk to Accenture’s U.S. operations or growth 🇺🇸.
That rhetoric reassured investors who have watched global consulting firms adapt to policy shifts in recent years. Sweet emphasized that Accenture’s diversified workforce and client mix provide flexibility, and that the firm can convert compliance into managed programs rather than surprise costs.
Data and Sector Impacts
The petition volume helps explain why the fee could still carry weight. Filing 1,568 H-1B petitions in the first half of 2025 underscores Accenture’s ongoing reliance on global talent pipelines, even if H-1B employees make up only a modest share of the U.S. payroll.
A one-time $100,000 surcharge may be manageable per case, but it scales quickly when firms hire dozens or hundreds of new professionals. Analysts and sector models indicate multiple likely effects:
- Cost pass-throughs: Analysts project 30% to 70% pass-through of the new fee to clients, potentially lifting project pricing—especially where H-1B hires fill niche skill sets.
- Hiring filters: Companies may approve fewer H-1B cases, tighten role selection, and sponsor only mission-critical positions.
- Budget pressure: Teams might shift more delivery work abroad to control costs, changing the onshore/offshore balance.
- Client negotiations: Firms could introduce explicit fee schedules that separate visa-related surcharges from base service rates.
- Compliance growth: Demand may increase for immigration legal support, audit readiness, and workforce planning services.
Accenture’s scale could help absorb near-term shock. However, higher acquisition costs tend to ripple through staffing models over time. Even if Accenture accepts lower margins on some projects to preserve delivery teams, future staffing blends may favor local hires or more offshore work.
Smaller consultancies face sharper trade-offs. A sudden six-figure surcharge per new H-1B could force:
- hiring pauses,
- narrower job scopes,
- greater reliance on subcontractors.
For startups, the fee can undermine the economics of building a specialized U.S. team—pushing them toward remote talent strategies or delayed market entry and potentially lengthening client timelines.
Implications for H-1B Candidates and Recruiters
The immediate effect targets employers, not existing approvals: the fee applies to new H-1B cases. Still, candidates may feel indirect consequences:
- Fewer sponsorship offers
- Delayed start dates
- Preference for candidates already holding U.S. work authorization
Recruiters warn some offers may include longer lead times while firms weigh cost recovery through project pricing.
Contract Structure and Client Costs
How client costs change depends on contract types:
- Fixed-fee projects: Less room to recover sudden expenses, likely prompting tighter change-order controls.
- Time-and-materials contracts: More flexible, but clients may resist markups tied to visa expenses.
In competitive bids, pressure could shift work to vendors with more U.S. work-authorized talent or to offshore centers that avoid H-1B-related costs.
Timing and Strategic Responses
Because the fee is slated to take effect in September 2025, timing matters for filing and hiring waves. Companies may:
- Speed up filings to beat the effective date.
- Adopt a wait-and-see approach to observe competitor pricing.
Either scenario risks hiring bottlenecks if many firms crowd filings into the same window.
More broadly, the policy encourages scrutiny of which roles require U.S. presence versus which can be delivered from abroad. For global consulting firms with large offshore teams, responses may include expanding delivery centers and investing in remote collaboration. For U.S.-based teams, it may mean greater emphasis on training and internal mobility.
Policy Debate and Economic Effects
The fee reignites debate about who should bear the cost of bringing global skills into the U.S. economy:
- Proponents: Argue a high one-time charge discourages overreliance on imported labor and nudges companies to invest in local talent.
- Critics: Contend many specialized roles lack enough qualified local candidates, so the fee acts like a tax on innovation that ultimately burdens American clients and consumers.
VisaVerge.com reports the fee is already influencing project budgets in consulting, cloud migration, and AI deployment work—areas where specialized expertise is in high demand.
Operational and HR Adjustments
For companies considering sponsorship, the policy increases the importance of careful documentation, planning, and internal controls. Companies are:
- Revisiting internal review gates for international hires
- Tracking project recovery models
- Training recruiters to explain sponsorship decisions
- Providing clients clearer visibility into staffing plans and visa-related costs
H-1B policy updates often align with fiscal or regulatory calendars. Because the $100,000 fee targets new cases (not renewals), it reshapes fresh international recruitment while leaving existing workers’ renewals less affected. If new hiring slows, some projects could experience staffing gaps until firms find alternative sources of talent.
How Decisions Will Be Made
A central question will guide many hiring choices: Which roles are “worth” the surcharge?
- Likely sponsored roles: Highly specialized positions with clear revenue impact.
- Likely shifted roles: Entry-level functions or roles with healthy local talent pipelines.
Recruiters report that managers at large firms are already setting clearer thresholds for when to sponsor and when to seek alternatives.
Accenture’s public stance—steady and confident—reflects its scale and diversified talent strategy. Nonetheless, the petition data, fee size, and early pricing signals point to real changes in staffing and billing across the IT services sector. The coming year will test how quickly firms can rewrite staffing models, rebalance costs, and keep client delivery on schedule as the H-1B landscape shifts.
For official program details on eligibility, caps, and employer duties, review the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services H-1B guidance: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations
This Article in a Nutshell
Accenture’s CEO Julie Sweet downplayed the impact of a new $100,000 one-time fee on new H-1B petitions, citing that roughly 5% of its U.S. workforce holds H-1B status and that those roles are highly specialized. Nevertheless, public filings show Accenture submitted 1,568 H-1B petitions in the first half of 2025, placing it among the top 25 sponsors and underscoring continued reliance on global talent. Analysts expect many firms to pass 30%–70% of the fee to clients, adjust sponsorship thresholds, or shift work offshore. With the fee effective September 2025, companies face timing pressures to file, potential hiring bottlenecks, and increased demand for immigration compliance and workforce-planning services. Smaller firms may face steeper trade-offs, while large consultancies like Accenture can absorb shocks but may still alter staffing mixes and client pricing.
