Explained: Impact of Trump’s Project Firewall on H-1B visas and deportations

The Trump administration has launched Project Firewall, a sweeping initiative designed to curb H-1B visa misuse and prioritise American workers, ensuring high-paying jobs are filled by domestic talent rather than foreign labor.

H-1Bs exploitation has been subjected to serious considerations over the last year or so. According to an fwd.us report of January 2025, around 730,000 H-1B holders and 550,000 dependents are in the US at this time. Critics have maintained that the program is sometimes being used by companies to source cheaper foreign labor against the qualified American labor force.

The initiative follows a September 19, 2025, presidential proclamation that imposes a $100,000 fee on every new H-1B petition–a measure aimed at discouraging companies from bypassing domestic applicants. The Department of Labor, which has traditionally played a limited role in enforcing H-1B compliance, will now actively investigate potential violations.

Also Read: Trump administration may exempt doctors from $100,000 H-1B visa fee shock, White House hints 

Project Firewall aims to establish incentives for US workers to be the first choice for high-skill, high-paying jobs. The officials would, therefore, act to limit offshore employment through a variety of restrictive enforcement approaches, looking into hiring method patterns, job postings, and company compliance practices.

Challenges ahead

Experts lay emphasis on the hurdles the program could face. The 2025 report by USCIS shows that the H-1B continues to be misused on a wide scale and that companies will find ways to go around the new rules. 

Multiple foreign reports around this development mentioned some companies who are in fact hiding job postings or hiring Americans legally in name only, thereby limiting any potential impact by this program.

Also Read: ‘We need brightest minds, smartest people’: Jensen Huang, Sam Altman back Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee hike

Impact on foreign workers

Foreign employees may see immediate effects. Companies could reduce H-1B sponsorships, shift work overseas, or scrutinize existing visa holders more closely. Dependents of H-1B workers, including spouses and children, may also face uncertainties, from changes in work eligibility to family stability concerns.

Project Firewall is part of a broader avenue toward protecting domestic workers and ensuring wage and opportunity fairness. In a nutshell, it marks a tough stance on enforcement, but, if loopholes remain unclosed, success will become doubtful.  

Better job security for Americans may risk an uncertain time for foreign professionals; the industries that depend on the foreign talent may be making adjustments to their staffing strategies. With the Department of Labor kicking off audits and investigations, it may well be that the coming months will overhaul the H-1B landscape and equally redefine access to cushy jobs in the US.