Doctors and medical residents could be exempted from the new $100,000 application fee for high-skilled U.S. H-1B visas introduced by the Donald Trump administration, Bloomberg has reported.
According to the executive order released on Friday, the fee may be waived if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that employing certain workers, industries, or companies serves the “national interest.” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers confirmed in an email that potential exemptions include physicians and medical trainees.
The H-1B visa remains a critical pathway for skilled foreign professionals — including many Nigerians — to work and establish long-term careers in the U.S. Data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shows tech, education, and medicine as top sectors for H-1B employment.
Amazon secured more than 10,000 H-1B visas in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta each received over 5,000. The programme allows 65,000 visas annually, plus an additional 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees.
Nigeria ranks 11th globally and first in Africa as a source of skilled workers entering the U.S. through the programme.
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