(GEORGIA, USA) The University of Georgia said it will cover the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee only in “exceptional circumstances,” moving quickly to limit exposure to a cost the school calls unsustainable after a presidential proclamation by President Trump on September 19, 2025. The rule, which took effect for petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, applies to new H-1B filings for workers outside the United States who do not already have a valid H-1B visa. Change-of-status filings from inside the country are exempt, but the change is expected to hit international hires coming from abroad, including researchers and faculty, the hardest.
University of Georgia’s immediate response
In a statement, the University of Georgia said, “Requests to hire workers who require the visa—and the exponentially increased fee that now comes with it—will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.”
The school confirmed it approved more than 60 new H-1B visas in fiscal year 2025 before the proclamation took effect. University officials now expect that figure to drop as departments weigh the extraordinary expense against other hiring needs.
- Departments will still receive support for routine H-1B costs (see details below).
- The $100,000 extraordinary fee will not be paid except in narrow, approved cases.
- Departments must document and justify why an overseas hire meets the “exceptional circumstances” threshold.
How other employers and institutions are reacting
The move by one of the state’s flagship public institutions shows how employers are recalculating plans after the fee took effect.
- Analysis by VisaVerge.com indicates large research universities and tech employers are:
- Reviewing open roles and recruitment pipelines for candidates abroad.
- Prioritizing applicants already in the United States who can switch to H-1B without triggering the new cost.
- Pausing international hiring while assessing budgets for the remainder of the academic year.
Some institutions have paused international hiring, while others are shifting offers toward domestic candidates to avoid the fee.
Which fees the university will continue to cover
The University of Georgia clarified it will continue to pay certain standard fees for eligible hires:
- $460 filing fee for Form I-129
- $500 anti-fraud fee
- $2,805 premium processing fee when speed is necessary
The university will not pay the $100,000 extraordinary fee except in narrow, approved circumstances.
The I-129 petition is the core H-1B application employers file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to request classification for a specialty occupation worker. Employers who choose to upgrade processing can request premium service by filing Form I-907. The I-129 and I-907 forms are available through USCIS at Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service.
Who the new fee applies to
- Applies to new petitions for workers abroad who do not have a valid H-1B visa.
- Does not apply to:
- Current H-1B holders seeking to extend or amend status with the same employer.
- Change-of-status requests from within the United States.
The proclamation frames the fee as a one-time payment designed to reduce the entry of certain nonimmigrant workers and effectively tilts hiring toward candidates already in the country.
Departments are instructed to document why a hire from overseas is so critical that it meets the bar of “exceptional circumstances.”
Financial and operational impact on hiring
For campus leaders, the financial stakes are clear: a single overseas hire now carries a $100,000 extra cost on top of standard fees, legal spend, and relocation support.
- Chairs and deans describe difficult trade-offs, especially in areas that commonly hire internationally:
- Engineering
- Computer science
- Biomedical research
- Many searches are planned months in advance; with the fiscal year underway, departments may shift offers to candidates inside the United States to avoid the fee.
Administrators also plan to document cases tied to urgent needs—such as grant deadlines, teaching requirements, or irreplaceable research skills—to support requests for the extraordinary payment.
Legal uncertainty and institutional caution
Advocacy groups and employers have filed lawsuits challenging the proclamation, arguing it is an overreach that harms U.S. institutions dependent on international expertise. University counsel nationwide are monitoring the cases.
- Legal uncertainty alone isn’t enough for many institutions to proceed with costly filings that could be tied up for months.
- The University of Georgia’s cautious approach signals that resources will be reserved for hires that cannot be replaced by someone already stateside.
Effect on recruitment strategy and timelines
The policy may reshape recruitment strategies this year:
- Universities may prioritize domestic candidates even when international applicants have unique credentials.
- Delaying petitions or waiting for litigation outcomes risks losing top candidates to private employers or foreign institutions willing to bear the cost.
- Employers are reconsidering processing timelines:
- Some will still pay premium processing to obtain decisions in as little as 15 days when timing is critical.
- But premium processing does not change the exceptional circumstances threshold—only the speed of adjudication.
USCIS overview and program basics
The federal description of the H-1B program remains unchanged: it is a temporary visa for specialty occupations that require a bachelor’s degree or higher. USCIS provides information on eligibility, employer steps, and fee schedules at its official H-1B page: USCIS H-1B Specialty Occupations.
What has shifted is the cost structure for new overseas hires, with the one-time $100,000 H-1B visa fee creating a new budget threshold universities must account for.
Practical implications for departments and scholars
- Departments will continue to have ordinary H-1B costs covered for eligible hires that do not trigger the new fee.
- Central administration will review case-by-case justifications for paying the $100,000, prioritizing hires tied to:
- Grant deadlines
- Urgent teaching needs
- Research projects that cannot proceed without specific expertise
For individual scholars, the rule raises the bar for overseas postdocs and faculty seeking to join U.S. labs—departments must prove the hire’s exceptional necessity.
Final takeaway
For now, the University of Georgia’s stance offers a template many public institutions may adopt:
- Prioritize candidates already in the United States.
- Screen overseas hires through a stringent “exceptional circumstances” process.
- Keep options open as legal challenges proceed, but do not wait for a final ruling before making near-term recruitment decisions.
Whether court challenges will ease the burden remains uncertain. In the meantime, universities will balance competitive hiring needs against a new, substantial financial threshold.
This Article in a Nutshell
The University of Georgia will only pay the newly imposed $100,000 H-1B extraordinary fee in narrowly defined “exceptional circumstances” after a presidential proclamation effective September 21, 2025. The fee targets new petitions for workers outside the United States without valid H-1B visas. UGA will continue covering standard I-129, anti-fraud, and premium processing fees but expects international hiring to decline. Departments must document urgent teaching, grant, or research needs to request the extraordinary payment while legal challenges proceed.
