5 Ways the New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Could Affect Nigerians

The U.S. has announced a new $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions, as outlined in a presidential proclamation dated September 19, 2025.

Agencies have indicated that it applies prospectively to new filings (including the 2026 cap/lottery cycle) and does not cover existing H-1B holders or already approved petitions. 

The move has rattled tech and healthcare employers and sent ripples through global talent markets.

Below are the most likely impacts for Nigerian students, tech talent, healthcare workers, and employers.

1) More remote and offshore work, fewer U.S. transfers

A six-figure levy on each new H-1B petition raises the total cost of sponsoring a worker far beyond salaries and current filing fees.

Many U.S. companies, mainly startups and midsize firms, will shift toward remote contracts, nearshore/offshore teams, or “hire-in-place” arrangements rather than relocate talent to America.

For Nigerian software engineers, data analysts, product designers, and cybersecurity professionals, that could mean more U.S.-denominated remote roles, but fewer opportunities to move to the U.S. on an H-1B.

2) Entry-level U.S. roles get harder to land

When sponsorship costs spike, employers tend to reserve visas for senior or hard-to-source skills. Expect fewer H-1B opportunities for fresh grads and early-career Nigerians in roles that U.S. employers can fill domestically.

This tilts hiring toward experienced specialists (AI/ML, embedded systems, specialised clinical roles) and away from generalist entry-level positions.

3) Nearshoring hubs grow—some in Africa

To control costs, U.S. firms may expand delivery centres in third countries with strong talent pools, time-zone advantages, and friendlier work-permit regimes.

India and Eastern Europe are obvious choices, but African hubs, Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali, Cairo, Cape Town, could attract more corporate investment if policy, power, and connectivity are reliable.

That’s a jobs-at-home upside for Nigerian talent, even as it reduces the number of physical moves to the U.S.

4) Healthcare recruitment faces a squeeze

Unlike tech, much of healthcare requires on-site staff. Hospitals and care networks already wrestling with shortages could scale back international hiring if each new H-1B petition carries a $100k surcharge.

Nigerian nurses, doctors, and medical technologists, who are a vital part of the U.S. workforce, may see fewer sponsorships or longer timelines unless employers pivot to other visas or lobby for exemptions. Healthcare and education are among the sectors most exposed to the new cost structure.

5) Students may rethink study-to-work paths

U.S. study remains attractive, but the H-1B is the main bridge from Optional Practical Training to long-term work. With fees this high for new petitions, more Nigerian students could compare Canada, the U.K., Germany, or Ireland, markets with clearer post-study pathways and lower sponsorship costs.

For those who still target the U.S., the strategy will shift toward STEM programs with longer OPT windows, employers who routinely sponsor, and roles where the business case can absorb the fee.