President Trump signed a proclamation last fall using the same authority as the Muslim ban to block H-1B applicants unless they paid a $100,000 fee.

What we found

Supports. The White House FAQ states that on September 19, 2025, Trump signed a Proclamation requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany new H-1B petitions submitted after September 21, 2025.[2]

Supports. The proclamation text itself cites INA sections 212(f) and 215(a) and restricts entry of H-1B workers except where petitions are accompanied by a $100,000 payment.[3]

Supports. CRS describes the proclamation as based on the President's authority to suspend entry or impose entry restrictions he deems appropriate, the same entry-restriction power at issue in the claim.[4]

Supports. AP reports Trump raised the H-1B fee to $100,000 last September, and a federal judge later struck it down, which does not affect whether the proclamation was signed.[1]

Context. The fee applies only to new petitions for workers outside the US and has exceptions, so 'block all H-1B applicants' is a loose paraphrase rather than a literal description.[5][6]

Context. No source directly compares the proclamation's authority with the Muslim ban's, so that element is not addressed beyond the shared 212(f) entry power.[3]

Sources

6 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 primary, 2 not rated

1. 1Trump's $100000 H-1B visa fee is shot down by a federal ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
2. 2H-1B FAQ - The White Housewhitehouse.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
3. 3www.govinfo.gov › content › pkgAdministration of Donald J. Trump, 2025 - GovInfogovinfo.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
4. 4New H-1B Fee and Other Recent H-1B Developments | Congress.govcongress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
5. 5Visa and immigration policy: New $100,000 H-1B fee - AIP.ORGaip.org · not rated · cited for: context
6. 6Trump creates $100K entry fee for H-1B visas, directs DOL and DHS to update H-1B wage and lottery rulesepi.org · not rated · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

• Bulwark Takes · Aug 29, 2026“Last fall, uh, Trump did something very creative. He signed a proclamation, the same, using the same authority that the Muslim ban was under... And so they're like, oh, let's, let's use this to block all H-1B applicants unless they pay $100,000.”Post →

Related claims

• The administration attempted to impose a $100,000 fee on people applying for H-1B visas.True
• The administration is proposing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applicants.True
• The Department of Homeland Security issued a regulation proposing a $103,000 fee for H-1B workers.True
• The Trump administration is imposing new barriers on H-1B workers.True
• The proposed $103,000 H-1B fee would generate $9 billion in revenue.True