5 things South Florida immigrant workers need to know about H-1B visas

Securing a work visa can allow an immigrant to legally work in the United States. But a recent executive order is changing things.

H-1B visas, which allow many immigrants to work in specialty occupations in the United States, used to cost $5,000 or less for the sponsoring employer. An executive order from President Donald Trump has increased the price to $100,000.

Miami-based immigration lawyer Scott Bettridge discussed what immigrant workers should know about changes to the H-1B visa process and how they can prepare.

There’s still time to prepare before the next H-1B visa lottery in 2026

Reaching out to a local embassy, immigration lawyer or discussing options with your employer can provide possible solutions before the next H-1B lottery happens in March 2026.

“The $100,000 fee won’t kick in until the next H-1B lottery comes around” in the spring, Bettridge said.

You will not lose your visa if you already have it

Existing work visas won’t be stripped away from workers, Bettridge said, but he expects many companies to not pay the higher costs to sponsor workers.

“No one is going to lose their visa if they already have it, but I can promise: a handful of employers that sponsored workers for work visas will not go down that path [again],” he said.

Previous sponsorship does not guarantee future sponsorship

Bettridge noted that just because employers have sponsored workers once does not mean they are committed to sponsoring them again.

“Sponsorship does not create an employment contract and does not guarantee continued sponsorship,” he said.

Higher visa costs will make for a tougher job market

Considering the challenges many local workers are already facing in what Bettridge considers a tough job market, he believes things will become more difficult for agriculture, hospitality and construction — industries that struggle to find U.S. workers.

“The ability to find someone with a visa that they traditionally have trouble staffing was a great opportunity,” he said. Now that the cost of sponsorship has skyrocketed, “companies are saying they don’t know how they will staff.”

The rising costs of worker visas may cause companies to rethink

Bettridge said workers need to be aware of how the rising costs of visas may alter hiring practices of companies that do not want to pay for them.

“A lot of employers are going to have to pivot,” he said.