More than two lakh applicants reportedly opted to pay USD 100,000 for H-1B visas to work in the United States for fiscal year 2026, according to Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday, Mullin said the DHS had received around 2.86 lakh H-1B applications so far in FY 2026. He noted that over 2 lakh applicants chose to pay the higher fee to expedite processing.
“We had 286,000 applicants year to date for H-1B visas. Out of those, over 200,000 paid USD 100,000 to be able to come in because it allows us to process them in a little bit faster manner,” Mullin said, responding to a question from US Senator Susan Collins regarding the shortage of doctors in rural parts of the country.
According to Mullin, applicants who pay the USD 100,000 fee receive processing within approximately 15 days, compared to around 7.5 months for standard applications.
Senator Collins highlighted the challenges faced by rural healthcare systems, citing a hospital in Presque Isle, Maine, which reportedly had to pay the premium fee to recruit a much-needed surgeon from abroad. She questioned whether medical professionals serving underserved areas could be exempted from such high charges.
“Would you be willing to consider carving out an exemption for medical professionals when a community can demonstrate there is no local medical professional available?” she asked.
Mullin responded that he would explore possible solutions, including case-by-case flexibility in such situations.
Collins further stressed the disparity between hiring highly skilled professionals for wealthy urban regions versus critical healthcare needs in rural communities.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also raised concerns about teacher shortages in rural school districts and indicated she would follow up on the issue of H-1B visa accessibility for educators.
The discussion highlights growing debate in the US over the cost, accessibility, and policy flexibility of the H-1B visa system, particularly in sectors facing acute workforce shortages.
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