H-1B visa fee hike could force Bangladeshi students back after higher studies
- Hge News
- Oct 5, 2025
- 6 min read
For years, the H-1B visa has been the most accessible legal pathway for students to transition from higher education to skilled employment in the United States. But this sudden shift in U.S. immigration policy has disrupted long-term career plans for Bangladeshi graduates and PhD holders.
Monirul Islam (pseudonym), a graduate of the University of Chittagong (CU), left Bangladesh in 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in finance in the United States.
Seeing greater opportunities in the information technology sector, he later earned a second master’s degree in Business Analytics and Data Sciences.
Alongside his studies, he completed an internship at a U.S. company where he is now employed. The Bangladeshi graduate is nearing the end of his Optional Practical Training (OPT) period.
To remain in the United States, he must obtain an H-1B skilled worker visa within three years. But a recent move by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a $100,000 fee on this visa category has created deep uncertainty.
According to Monirul, his current employer pays him an annual salary of $80,000.
To sponsor his H-1B visa, the company would now need to spend an additional $100,000. He worries that the company may be unwilling to bear such a large cost and might instead choose to hire someone with a green card or U.S. citizenship.
Another Bangladeshi graduate, Tahmid Zaman (pseudonym), who studied at the University of Dhaka (DU) before completing a master’s at a university in Oklahoma State, is also struggling with the uncertainty. Currently on OPT and searching for employment, he said the new fee has added to his anxiety regarding securing a job.
Speaking to Bonik Barta, Tahmid said, “I am currently in my OPT period. I am searching for jobs at different companies and have attended interviews.
But I have not secured a position yet. Recently, one company hired five people, three Americans and two foreigners.
But before Trump’s fee announcement, that company used to hire more foreign workers.”
Optional Practical Training, or OPT, allows foreign students in the U.S. on F-1 visas to work for up to three years after completing their studies.
After that, if an employer wishes to retain a graduate, the company must apply for an H-1B visa.
Conversations with several immigrant workers in the U.S. indicate that students usually enter on an F-1 non-immigrant visa for study.
After graduation, if they secure employment, their status is converted to an H-1B visa, designated for specialized workers.
With the new $100,000 fee, many fear that their path from higher education to employment in the U.S. is in jeopardy.
Without jobs, most Bangladeshi students may be unable to bear the financial burden and could be forced to return home.
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on skilled worker visas in the United States. He signed the order on September 19.
The skilled worker visa primarily refers to the H-1B visa category. Following the President’s announcement, experts believe that citizens of India and China, who make up the largest share of H-1B applicants, will be the most affected.
However, immigration law specialists and Bangladeshi academics also warn that Bangladeshis could face significant consequences from the increased fee.
They note that while relatively few Bangladeshis apply directly for H-1B visas, a large number travel to the U.S. for higher education.
Many graduates then attempt to remain in the country by seeking employment.
The steep fee could create major obstacles for Bangladeshi graduates trying to secure jobs.
They say U.S. companies will consider the added financial burden when hiring foreign workers, which could make employers reluctant to retain them.
Many could lose their jobs, be forced to return to Bangladesh, or look for alternative paths.
A Bangladeshi academic who has long worked at a U.S. public university told Bonik Barta on condition of anonymity, “I earn $90,000 a year at the university. I have not yet received a green card or an H-1B visa.
Since my visa would now require an additional $100,000 fee beyond my salary, I fear I may have to return to Bangladesh.
The university is unlikely to reconsider retaining me by paying such a large amount.”
A significant number of Bangladeshis travel to the United States every year for advanced degrees and research.
Many pursue a second degree to extend their stay. The exact number of Bangladeshis who entered the U.S. in 2025 is not yet available.
However, according to the 2024 “Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange,” a total of 17,099 Bangladeshi students enrolled in U.S. institutions in the 2023–24 academic year.
This is a 26 percent increase from the 2022–23 academic year. This growth moved Bangladesh from 13th to 8th place among countries sending international students to the U.S. Back in the 2013–14 academic year, there were 4,802 Bangladeshi students in the U.S. The number has risen by 250 percent over the past decade.
Bonik Barta spoke with six Bangladeshis living in the United States on F-1 student visas and currently employed during their OPT period. On condition of anonymity, each of them said that for Bangladeshis who go to study in the U.S., the fundamental effort is to secure employment in order to stay permanently.
However, U.S. President Trump’s new order on visas has left job seekers in deep uncertainty. They said that outside of the IT sector, most Bangladeshis in the U.S. earn less than $100,000 a year. As a result, no company would want to hire an employee by paying the equivalent of an additional year’s salary in line with the new visa fee.
According to sources, salaries are three to four times higher in the U.S. technology sector than in other fields.
Workers who are highly skilled and earn higher salaries may still be considered by companies. But for those earning below $100,000, companies may instead look for alternatives, they said.
Currently, the majority of H-1B visa holders in the U.S. are Indian and Chinese nationals. According to statistics from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 71 percent of current H-1B visa holders are Indian citizens, while 12 percent are Chinese.
The next largest groups are from the Philippines, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Pakistan, Brazil, and Nigeria. Beyond that, citizens of other countries, including Bangladesh, make up the remaining 10 percent. However, Indians and Chinese are expected to be the most affected by the newly imposed H-1B visa fee.
Bangladeshi actor and U.S. visa consultant Adnan Faruque Hillol told Bonik Barta, “With the annual $100,000 visa fee set for highly skilled foreign workers in the United States, India and China will be the most affected.
If we look at the statistics and ratios, citizens of these two countries are the ones who most frequently convert to this visa. So, in that sense, we do not have much reason to panic.
However, I am not saying that none of our students will be affected.”
Noting that such policies of the Trump administration have sparked widespread criticism, he said, “Many policies have been appealed in court.
I have also heard that this decision may be appealed.”
Each year, the U.S. issues H-1B work visas to attract highly skilled foreign professionals.
American companies sponsor foreign workers for these visas in specialized fields such as IT, engineering, medicine, and research. Holders of these visas may later apply for permanent residency through a green card.
The H-1B visa has been the most accessible legal pathway for students to transition from higher education to skilled employment in the United States.
But this sudden shift in U.S. immigration policy has disrupted long-term career plans for Bangladeshi graduates and PhD holders.
The decision by President Trump has sparked widespread concern and anxiety among Bangladeshis already in the country.
Those who had been planning to pursue higher education in the U.S. are now voicing serious doubts.
Dr. Shibbir Ahmed, president of the U.S.-based human rights organization
“Shocchar” and currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia, told Bonik Barta, “This is essentially Trump’s policy to increase job opportunities for locals.
When companies hire from abroad, they sponsor H-1B visas. Indians, particularly in the IT sector, receive these visas in large numbers. Bangladeshis usually come on F-1 student visas.
They typically join jobs during their OPT period. And after three years, the visa is converted into an H-1B. Converting to an H-1B means the person will have legal status in the U.S. for the next six years, during which they can also apply for a green card.”
According to sources, with the imposition of the $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, companies will likely refuse to hire foreign workers as before.
Students in the U.S. may at most be able to work for three years under OPT. However, an alternative may exist for those coming from Bangladesh under PhD, scientific, or academic categories, as they may be eligible to apply for a green card.
The main challenge will be for students pursuing master’s degrees.
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