Rural Schools Depend on International Teachers Amid Visa Policy Shakeup

(UNITED STATES) Rural school districts across the United States 🇺🇸 are bracing for immediate fallout after President Trump set a new $100,000 visa fee for each H-1B visa application, a move announced on September 19, 2025 and effective two days later. District leaders say the sudden cost surge threatens the hiring pipeline for international teachers who fill hard-to-staff roles in math, science, and special education across remote communities that already struggle to recruit.

The H-1B visa allows highly skilled workers, including many international teachers, to work in the country for up to six years and can offer a path to permanent residency. The new policy lifts the application cost from roughly $2,000–$5,000 to $100,000 per petition, according to administration materials. The administration says the fee does not apply to applications already in progress and does not affect existing visa holders. The order also lets the Secretary of Homeland Security grant exemptions to individuals or targeted sectors if doing so serves the national interest and does not threaten U.S. security or welfare.

Why districts rely on international teachers

Rural districts turn to international teachers because it is often the only way to keep classrooms staffed. Geographic isolation, lower wages compared with urban systems, and fewer local candidates for advanced subjects mean districts must recruit abroad to fill roles that are otherwise vacant.

• International hires commonly fill: advanced math, physics, special education, and other high-need subjects.
• H-1B provides a longer-term option that allows teachers to settle, buy homes, and build community ties.
• J-1 visas provide shorter-term teaching (up to three years) and do not offer a path to permanent residency, increasing turnover.

“It’s a lot more difficult to find a high school advanced math teacher that’s qualified than it is to fill a second or third grade elementary class position,” said Melissa Sadorf of the National Rural Education Association.

Immediate reactions from affected districts

Kodiak Island Borough School District (Alaska) employs 30 international teachers across remote communities, many on H-1B visas. Superintendent Cyndy Mika told Alaska Public Media, “with a pen stroke, we possibly have ruined the future of education for Alaska students.” The district had invested in international recruitment, including a 2025 trip to the Philippines with four other Alaska districts to hire teachers for high-need roles.

Crow Creek Tribal School (South Dakota) filled 15 teacher vacancies with Filipino educators on H-1B visas after local recruitment failed. Superintendent Rob Coverdale said, “We’ve hired the H-1B teachers because we quite simply didn’t have other applicants for those positions.”

Bison Schools (South Dakota) employs three international teachers on a staff of 18. Superintendent George Shipley said, “The H-1B opens [the] possibility” of permanent community members who buy homes and anchor local life. He fears the new fee will make long-term hiring plans unrealistic.

Other impacts cited by district leaders:

• Texas school districts and charter schools currently employ about 500 teachers on H-1B; leaders call the fee “unsustainable.”
• TMSA Public Charter Schools (North Carolina) warned that “most schools could not sustain such costs.”
• Milwaukee Public Schools paused a program that once hired 200 international teachers, citing the political climate and tougher processing.

Policy changes overview

The administration’s shift arrives on top of other recent visa disruptions:

• In May 2025, the State Department temporarily paused issuing J-1 visas, another route used by international teachers. While consular posts later resumed J-1 processing, the halt and limited communication rattled districts planning for fall openings.
• The White House has proposed replacing the current random H-1B lottery with a pay-weighted selection system that favors higher-paying jobs. Because teacher salaries are far below tech wages, this would likely reduce schools’ odds of securing H-1B spots.

AASA, the School Superintendents Association, warns that a pay-weighted system “could further hurt school districts’ chances in being selected and granted a petition,” particularly for specialized positions that already take months to fill.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has limited authority to exempt individual applicants or industries if doing so serves the national interest and does not risk U.S. welfare. Education advocates argue rural schools meet that standard because losing international teachers would cause immediate, measurable harm to student access and, in some cases, accreditation.

Impact on schools, staffing options, and students

If H-1B visas become financially out of reach, superintendents say they face difficult choices:

1. Hire uncertified or underqualified teachers
2. Combine classes or grades
3. Place more students on special education caseloads
4. Cut advanced coursework
5. Shift to online instruction for specialized subjects

Each option carries academic and emotional costs, especially in remote communities where schools are central to local life and the economy.

Other pressures that amplify the fee’s impact:

• Higher transportation costs and shortages in related services (e.g., speech therapy)
• Need to provide housing in remote areas
• For very small districts, a single six-figure visa fee could exceed the annual budget for curriculum or technology

“We can’t tell a senior they won’t get calculus because the district couldn’t fund a visa that used to cost a few thousand dollars,” one superintendent said.

Short-term responses and stopgap measures

Districts are weighing stopgaps while seeking clarity:

• Test short-term J-1 hiring, accepting higher turnover
• Reassign existing teachers and combine grades
• Use remote instruction for advanced courses
• Charter networks may reallocate teachers to campuses with stronger local hiring options

Unions and school boards warn these measures will strain staff and reduce course quality. Many districts plan to cancel interviews or rescind conditional offers while they assess budget impacts.

Legal and policy advisors urge districts to:
– Document failed domestic recruitment
– Quantify direct student impacts of open positions
– Work with state education departments to measure effects on graduation requirements and accreditation

This documentation could be useful if DHS considers industry or case-by-case exemptions.

Policy and advocacy responses

AASA is pressing the administration to exempt teachers from the $100,000 visa fee and plans to file public comments opposing a pay-weighted H-1B selection system.

• Republican Rep. Nick Begich (Alaska) criticized the policy, saying unfilled jobs “mean that kids are going uneducated.”
• Healthcare groups also request exemptions, noting rural hospitals rely on immigrant physicians.

District leaders say the clearest path forward is a targeted exemption that treats teachers as a national-interest profession—at least for rural and high-need subjects. They urgently seek clarity on exemptions within weeks to avoid canceling classes.

What this means for current and prospective teachers

• H-1B teachers already in status are exempt from the new fee.
• Future transfers or changes could be complicated if districts avoid filing petitions.
• J-1 teachers who hope to move to H-1B status to extend their stay may find that pathway effectively closed.
• The policy sends a discouraging signal to the global teaching workforce; rebuilding trust could take years.

Employers and applicants can review the USCIS baseline eligibility and processing information at the official page: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations. Note: that resource describes statutory criteria and procedure but does not reflect the new visa fee set by the presidential order.

Key takeaways

• The H-1B visa remains the only long-term work option for many international teachers who want to settle in U.S. communities.
• The J-1 is shorter-term and tends to increase turnover.
• The new $100,000 visa fee places permanent hires beyond the reach of many rural budgets.
• Without targeted relief or exemptions, the immediate effect will be fewer qualified teachers in front of students who need them most.

For now, school leaders say they need rapid clarity on exemptions. Otherwise, hiring timelines and course offerings risk collapsing just as the academic year approaches.