Medical Groups Back Legislation that would Exempt Healthcare Workers from $100,000 H-1B Filing Fee

On March 17, 2026, bipartisan legislation was introduced by U.S. Representatives Mike Lawyer (R-NY), Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) to exempt physicians and other healthcare workers from the Trump Administration’s $100,000 H-1B filing fee.

The bill, presently called the “H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act,” proposes that the $100,000 H-1B filing fee shall not apply to any H-1B worker who is employed in the healthcare sector. The proposed fee exemption would broadly cover healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, certified nurse midwives, psychologists, ambulance workers, and public health professionals as defined by Affordable Care Act.

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Hospital Association (AHA)—among other medical organizations—have endorsed this legislation. 

In its recent press release applauding the bill, the AMA wrote that the $100,000 H-1B filing fee raises hiring costs, which in turn worsens physician shortages, increases wait times, and reduces access care. The bill therefore aligns with AMA’s mission to build and maintain a strong healthcare workforce to serve all patient needs.

Similarly, AHA Executive VP Stacey Hughes expressed support for the bill, stating that it would maintain patient access to care by sustaining critical healthcare staffing in shortage areas.

April 2026 Visa Bulletin: Significant Movement and Current EB-3 Categories

The Department of State has just issued the April 2026 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin.

Visa Bulletin

Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Immigrant Visa):

Table B: Dates for Filing – Form I-485 Applications to Adjust Status with these priority dates or earlier may be filed with USCIS:

USCIS will continue to use Table B: Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in April 2026. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates

MU Law Analysis

This month’s visa bulletin provides welcome relief from retrogression, as several categories became current for the first time in several years.

The most significant surges forward are for Adjustments of Status under the Dates for Filing Chart, where EB-3 categories for All Chargeability Areas and Mexico are current for the first time since April 2023, and EB-2 India moved forward five months to January 15, 2015.

Under the Final Action Dates chart, EB-2 All Chargeability Areas, Mexico, and Philippines are all current for the first time since November 2022. EB-3 All Chargeability Areas and Philippines moved forward 8 months, and EB-2 India moved forward 10 months.

As in March 2026, the visa bulletin again notes that the dates for filing and final action dates advanced significantly in April 2026 as a result of immigration restrictions put in place by the Trump administration. The visa bulletin notes that if immigration restrictions are later eased or if visa demand increases, retrogression could be necessary later in the fiscal year.

Immigrant Visa Appointments Affected as U.S. Embassies Curtail Operations in the Middle East

U.S. embassies and consulates across the Middle East have suspended routine operations amid ongoing strikes and retaliatory activity.

As a result, immigrant visa processing has been disrupted, with many posts cancelling scheduled interviews and limiting consular access indefinitely.

 

U.S. Embassies and Consulates Affected

 

Based on current reporting by AP News, NBC News, and Newsweek, immigrant visa services have been impacted at the following U.S. embassies and consulates:

• U.S. Embassy Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE
• U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan
• U.S. Consulate General Karachi, Pakistan
• U.S. Consulate General Lahore, Pakistan
• U.S. Embassy Amman, Jordan
• U.S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon
• U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq
• U.S. Consulate General Erbil, Iraq
• U.S. Embassy Kuwait City, Kuwait

Additional posts across the region may also be operating with minimal staffing or suspended visa services, and conditions remain fluid.

 

Cancelled immigrant visa appointments do not constitute visa refusals, but applicants should anticipate delays once posts begin reopening, including possible reprioritization of cases.

 

Applicants with pending or cancelled immigrant visa appointments should:

• Rely only on official embassy communications for post‑specific guidance
• Monitor the website of the specific U.S. embassy or consulate handling their case
• Prepare for processing delays once services resume

If you have questions about your upcoming embassy appointment, please contact your MU attorney.

FY 2027 H-1B CAP Lottery

The fiscal year 2027 (March 2026) H-1B cap registration period is currently open and will run through noon eastern on Thursday March 19, 2026.

H-1B CAP registrations are submitted electronically via USCIS’s website. USCIS will update its lottery selections on employers’ my.uscis.gov accounts by March 31, 2026.

H-1B CAP lottery winners are then eligible to submit an H-1B petition between April 1, 2026 – June 30, 2026.

Notable changes to this year’s H-1B cap season are:

• USCIS will require a $100,000 payment for new H-1B visa applicants who are outside the US at the time of their cap case filing.
• USCIS has announced that lottery selection will be weighted, with more entries for selection given to H-1B candidates with high wages. 

For the latest on USCIS’s H-1B changes and to ensure your own H-1B filing strategy, please reach out to your MU attorney.