H-1B Changes Will Have Lasting Effects on our Workforce

In September 2025, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation setting a $100,000 fee for H‑1B visa applications—a radical increase from previous immigration policy.  The move has triggered alarm across multiple sectors, from big tech to small architectural firms, for its potential to disrupt the flow of highly skilled, non-resident professionals into the U.S. workforce. 

While much of the public discourse centers on tech giants, small and midsize firms—especially in architecture, engineering, design, and related fields—may be more heavily impacted, as the new policy threatens to obstruct these firms’ ability to attract and retain top international talent.

Architecture and similar design professions are global disciplines.  From sustainability practices to digital fabrication, great ideas are not limited by borders.  U.S.-based firms—especially those in design hubs like the Bay Area—benefit from hiring graduates of American universities who come from abroad.

The typical path looks like this:

1. International students earn architecture or design degrees in U.S. schools.

2. They work on an Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa—low cost, minimal red tape—for 1-3 years.

3. If the fit is right, the firm sponsors them for an H‑1B visa, allowing them to stay for 3-6 years and potentially longer.

   
   

This has been a mutually beneficial process for both sides: firms get well-trained, skilled employees who bring global perspectives, while the employees gradually establish a firmer foothold in the U.S. design industry.

With the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, that process might no longer be feasible for small and even mid-sized businesses.

Smaller firms need to think even more strategically—not only about how they hire, but also how they plan and adapt.  Such firms will need to reassess their financial ability to sponsor future H-1B applicants.  Monitoring current employees’ visa statuses will require even more diligence to avoid unnecessary risks.  From a staffing perspective, leadership teams should start planning well in advance for the expiration of visas and upcoming sponsorship decisions. 

Design firms depend on diverse voices, global knowledge, and future-thinking talent.  To that end, I’ve authored an OpEd for the San Francisco Chronicle to outline the concerns for small architecture and engineering firms.