What new immigration costs should employers budget for in 2027?

Sort them into three buckets: costs you will pay, costs you should model, and risks to reserve for. The cost in force today is the 50/50 fee on extensions for covered employers, $4,000 per H-1B and $4,500 per L-1 extension, scheduled through September 30, 2027. The $100,000 proclamation payment and the proposed $103,265 fee belong in scenarios.

Would the proposed $103,265 H-1B fee apply to changes of status?

Under the proposal as written, yes: it would reach every cap-subject petition, including changes of status. Which petitions a final rule covers would depend on its effective date and applicability provisions.

Which employers have to pay the 50/50 fee?

Only employers that meet both conditions pay it: 50 or more employees in the United States, and more than 50% of that U.S. workforce in H-1B or L-1 status. The final rule published August 10, 2026 did not widen that definition. The threshold is applied at filing, and workforce composition drifts, so an employer near either line can cross it without notice.

Foreign Talent Cost Stack: 2027 Budget Model

A spreadsheet that turns headcount by visa type into a base case, three scenarios and a reserve.

What it is

Our 2027 budget analysis sorts six new costs into what you will pay, what to model and what to reserve for. This spreadsheet applies that structure to your own numbers: enter headcount by visa type and it calculates the base case, the three scenarios and the reserve, with each figure labeled in force, blocked or proposed as of the date stated.

Who it helps

CFOs and finance teams building the FY2027 and FY2028 plan
General Counsel and mobility leaders asked for an immigration budget
Founders deciding between a junior and a senior sponsored hire

What is inside

An inputs sheet for headcount by visa type
A model sheet with the base case, Scenarios A, B and C and the reserve
A notes sheet with the status and source of each figure

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Frequently asked questions

What new immigration costs should employers budget for in 2027?
Sort them into three buckets: costs you will pay, costs you should model, and risks to reserve for. The cost in force today is the 50/50 fee on extensions for covered employers, $4,000 per H-1B and $4,500 per L-1 extension, scheduled through September 30, 2027. The $100,000 proclamation payment and the proposed $103,265 fee belong in scenarios.
Accurate as of October 13, 2026 | From The New Price of Foreign Talent: Six Line Items Your 2027 Budget Is Probably Missing
Would the proposed $103,265 H-1B fee apply to changes of status?
Under the proposal as written, yes: it would reach every cap-subject petition, including changes of status. Which petitions a final rule covers would depend on its effective date and applicability provisions.
Accurate as of October 13, 2026 | From The New Price of Foreign Talent: Six Line Items Your 2027 Budget Is Probably Missing
Which employers have to pay the 50/50 fee?
Only employers that meet both conditions pay it: 50 or more employees in the United States, and more than 50% of that U.S. workforce in H-1B or L-1 status. The final rule published August 10, 2026 did not widen that definition. The threshold is applied at filing, and workforce composition drifts, so an employer near either line can cross it without notice.
Accurate as of November 3, 2026 | From The 50/50 Fee Reached Extensions on September 9. Your Renewal Budget Just Changed.

General information, not legal advice. The tool restates what Samper Law has published and does not replace advice on your own facts. Registering or using it does not create an attorney-client relationship.