H-1B Visa News: How 2025 Changes May Boost Remote Work

The H-1B visa has long been one of the most important pathways for U.S. companies to bring in skilled foreign professionals. Especially in the tech industry, it has allowed businesses to bridge critical talent gaps by sponsoring international workers in specialty occupations.

But with the latest announcement in September 2025, from the U.S. government, the H-1B visa program is facing major changes, and global companies are already rethinking how they approach hiring.

What is the H-1B Visa?

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized fields such as IT, engineering, finance, and healthcare.

Key facts about the program include:

• Valid for three years, extendable up to six years

• Annual cap of 65,000 visas, plus 20,000 additional spots for workers with U.S. graduate degrees

• When applications exceed the cap, a lottery system determines who is selected

For years, the H-1B visa has been a crucial mechanism for companies competing for top global talent.

What’s Changing with the H-1B Visa?

The Trump administration announced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions. While clarifications suggest this fee is a one-time payment and applies only to new applications (not current holders), it still marks a significant shift.

These changes matter because:

• Visa sponsorship has historically been considered a compliance expense, not a major financial hurdle.

• This new fee changes the cost-benefit equation for employers.

• Global mobility programs will now face increased uncertainty and compliance costs.

For companies that rely heavily on international hires, the sudden change creates more unpredictability in workforce planning.

The H-1B Visa Change for Global Companies

Although the rule is aimed at protecting domestic workers, the effects ripple far beyond U.S. borders. For global and remote-first companies, these changes mean:

1. Higher compliance costs: The added fee makes relocating talent into the U.S. more expensive.

2. Increased reliance on remote work: Instead of moving workers to the U.S., companies may prefer to keep employees in their home countries and work remotely.

3. Pressure on workforce strategies: Immigration can no longer be seen as a fixed process, so companies need flexible, distributed models.

Remote Work: How Global Companies Can Respond

The future of talent acquisition isn’t about moving people to opportunity, but moving opportunity to people. Here are three strategies to adapt:

1. Stay Agile

Workforce planning must account for rapid policy changes. Companies that build flexibility into hiring models will adapt more easily.

2. Explore Global Talent Pools

Restricting U.S. migration doesn’t solve the talent shortage. By expanding recruitment globally, businesses can tap into overlooked markets.

3. Build Remote Infrastructure

Investing in distributed workforce tools, from collaboration platforms to global IT asset management, ensures your teams can work seamlessly, no matter where they are.

A New Era for the H-1B Visa and Global Hiring

The H-1B visa is not disappearing, but its rising costs and uncertainties make it less of a default solution. For many organizations, this will accelerate the shift toward remote and borderless work models.

At Tecspal, we support this new reality by helping companies manage IT assets for distributed teams, from onboarding laptops in São Paulo to offboarding hardware in San Francisco. As policies change, one thing remains constant: businesses still need global talent, and global teams need seamless IT support.