min. readWhat’s Changing with the H-1B Visa?
In September 2025, the U.S. government announced a sweeping update to the H-1B visa program. The most disruptive change: a $100,000 fee per H-1B petition for highly skilled international workers.
According to Fortune, the fee applies to new petitions only. HR Executive explains that mid-sized companies, the ones without enterprise-level budgets, will feel it most. And for those teams, hiring talent abroad just became a major financial risk.
Here’s the impact in plain English:
The cost is now unsustainable. One visa petition can equal a full year’s salary.
Hiring takes longer, as relocation and legal steps stretch out over months.
Uncertainty increases, with policy shifts leaving hiring plans at risk.
For mid-sized companies, this is more than an administrative update. It is a barrier to growth.
Quick Facts: What Is the H-1B Visa?
A U.S. work visa for highly skilled professionals, mostly in tech and engineering.
Companies, not workers, are the petitioners.
Subject to a lottery system that makes it competitive and unpredictable.
Used widely by mid-sized companies to fill skill gaps when local hiring falls short.
The Case for Nearshore Hiring
Nearshore hiring solves the problems the new H-1B fee has created. Instead of navigating months of paperwork and six-figure fees, companies can bring in professionals from Latin America who are available now.
Nearshore professionals are bilingual, highly skilled, and aligned with U.S. time zones. This means projects keep moving, teams stay connected, and costs stay under control.
The advantages are clear:
- Companies avoid visas and relocation altogether.
- Onboarding happens within weeks instead of months.
- Teams collaborate live during U.S. working hours.
- Businesses save up to 40 percent compared to U.S. hiring.
For mid-sized companies, this is not just an alternative. It is a practical solution to keep scaling without risk. My colleague Joseph Hoffman, Senior Client Solutions Executive, put it perfectly when we were discussing this:
“At Abstra, we’ve placed senior engineers, tech leads, and designers across 20+ U.S. teams in weeks, not months. All LATAM-based, vetted, and ready to plug into your team.” – Joseph Hoffman, Senior Client Solutions Executive
Why Abstra?
This is where we shine. Abstra does not stop at supplying top talent. We build partnerships that feel as natural as hiring locally.
What does that mean in practice? It means we connect you with the best vetted professionals in Latin America, and we stay with you beyond the hiring step. We guide integration, support communication, and ensure that your new team members perform at the highest level from day one, delivering results that feel indistinguishable from an onsite team.
Here’s how we do it:
- Rigorous vetting: Only top talent makes it through our selection process.
- Time zone alignment: Our professionals work in sync with your hours.
- Seamless integration: Roles are filled quickly, and your clients cannot tell the difference between nearshore and onsite team members
- Scalability: We adjust to your growth, whether you need one role or a full team.
- Cost efficiency: Clients consistently see savings without compromise on quality.
Moving Ahead with Confidence
The $100,000 H-1B fee has introduced uncertainty, but it does not have to slow your business down. Nearshore hiring with Abstra gives you the ability to grow with confidence.
We partner with you to build reliable teams that keep your projects on track and your clients satisfied.
If your company is facing the new reality of hiring, it is time to take a different path. With Abstra, you gain the people, the support, and the results that make growth possible.