Figure 1: Borjas's model predicts the proposed fee would decimate the most talented H-1B workers while letting wage-undercutters through

Reduction in within-U.S. H-1B application volume by quartile of wage gap with equivalent native-born Americans. Based on Borjas's visa demand model and FY2022-2024 I-129 filings.

Note: Percentages approximated from log points. Because a $100,000 fee already applied to H-1B applications filed from abroad in FY2027, we assume the behavior of applicants who paid that fee remains unchanged. The demand reduction here applies to H-1B applicants filing from inside the U.S., who were previously unaffected by the fee.
Source: Bloomberg, FY2022-2024 I-129 filings. Borjas (2026).