Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers

This proclamation, issued by the President, imposes a new, unusual gating mechanism on entry of H-1B nonimmigrant workers (specialty occupations). Specifically, it requires that H-1B petitions be accompanied by a $100,000 payment to be eligible for entry. Petitions not accompanied by this payment face restricted processing or denial for a 12-month period after the proclamation’s effective date. The measure is framed as a response to abuses of the H-1B program, especially in the IT sector, with the goal of protecting American workers’ wages and national security, while still allowing “the best of the best” foreign workers where appropriate. The proclamation also directs rulemaking to raise prevailing wage levels and to prioritize high-skilled, high-paid admissions, and it includes compliance and implementation steps involving the Departments of Homeland Security and State. It includes a built-in sunset (expiration) after 12 months unless renewed, and a pathway for possible extensions after a formal review. In short, the proclamation tightens H-1B entry by imposing a sizable payment condition, increases wage-focused oversight, and introduces a 12-month testing period to assess whether renewal or extension of the restrictions is warranted.