New H-1B Applicants After Sept 2025? Here’s What I’d Do
Quick pause!
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The $100,000 H-1B Fee Panic: What I’d Do If I Were an IMG Right Now
If you’ve been seeing posts about a $100,000 H-1B fee and feeling your stomach drop, I want you to pause.
I recorded this episode because I’ve lived the visa journey—from F-1 to B1/B2, to J-1, to H-1B—and I know how quickly fear can derail your focus.
So let me be clear: panic will not help you, but understanding your options absolutely will.
In this episode of the IMG Roadmap Podcast, I walk through what’s actually being discussed, who this proposal could apply to, and how I would personally approach this situation today as a physician.
First: stop outsourcing your peace to social media
Most immigration panic comes from people repeating headlines without reading the underlying documents. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t read the rules yourself, someone else will interpret them for you—and usually incorrectly.
Second: understand what makes physicians different
Physicians are not interchangeable workers. Many of us work in areas where there are simply not enough doctors—especially in primary care, psychiatry, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, and general surgery.
That matters.
Shortage areas and national interest arguments are not loopholes—they are realities of the U.S. healthcare system.
Third: this is what I would do right now
If I were applying for H-1B today, I would:
Continue applying for jobs (some employers will still sponsor)
Target physician shortage areas intentionally
Build a clear national-interest narrative around my work
Speak to an experienced immigration attorney
Ignore fear-mongering voices that offer no solutions
You are not powerless here.
You just need to think strategically.
Here are some links that may help you:
Podcast episode with Dr. Clarisse Tallah: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/13-img-roadmap-series-30-dr-clarisse-tallah-fm-ob-maternal/id1490731292?i=1000469793341
Podcast episode with Dr. Clarisse Tallah blog post: https://www.drninalum.com/imgroadmap/img-roadmap-series-30-dr-clarisse-tallah-md-mph-fmob-maternity-care-fellow?rq=national%20interest%20waiver
Opinion from an immigration firm: https://www.bakerlaw.com/insights/uscis-clarifies-when-100000-h-1b-fee-is-required-exempting-most-f-1-students/
USCIS on H1B visa: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations
Listen to the full episode here!
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