TechNet filed a formal objection to the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed $103,265 fee on cap‑subject H‑1B petitions. The association said the charge would choke the hiring of highly skilled engineers and data scientists across Silicon Valley. It was joined by the Information Technology Industry Council and the Semiconductor Industry Association, both of these warned that the fee would erode the U.S. tech sector’s competitive edge.
The DHS estimate stems from an $8.777 billion cost projection for immigration‑administration services spread over an anticipated 85,000 fee‑paying petitions, which yields roughly $103,264.57 per petition. DHS rounded the figure to $103,265 and explained that the charge would sit on top of existing H‑1B fees. The agency said the revenue would fund agencies such as USCIS, CBP, ICE, the Department of Labor, and the State Department.
TechNet’s chief executive, Maria Sanchez, told The Wall Street Journal that “the fee would make it impossible for small startups to compete for talent.” She added that “the U.S. cannot afford to lock talent in a system that favors labor‑intensive sectors.” A founder of a San Francisco AI startup, Raj Patel, described the fee as “a death knell for new companies that rely on foreign expertise.”
The DHS announced it will review the comments by June 15, 2026 before finalizing the rule. If the agency decides to keep the fee, companies will likely file a lawsuit to challenge the measure. Meanwhile, the tech industry is lobbying Congress for a legislative override that would slash or eliminate the fee.