House bill would exempt health care workers from $100,000 H-1B filing fee

House lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill that would exempt foreign-trained health care workers ─ including nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals ─ from the $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee established by a presidential proclamation in September 2025. The Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act also would prohibit new H-1B fees that are greater than existing fees from being imposed on health care workers. Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Sanford Bishop Jr., D-Ga., Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., sponsored the AONL- and American Hospital Association-supported legislation. The AHA in September 2025 asked the administration to exempt health care workers from the fee, saying it likely would prevent many hospitals from using the program and could force a reduction in services. (Rep. Mike Lawler news release, 3/17/26)