A Trump-era proposal to sharply increase the cost of hiring foreign workers is reigniting debate in California, with school districts warning that the move could deepen an already severe shortage of teachers. The plan, which would impose a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa hires, has raised alarms among education officials who rely on international talent to fill hard-to-staff classrooms.
Supporters aligned with the MAGA movement, however, contend that the H-1B program has drifted from its original purpose. They argue it is increasingly being used to staff everyday teaching positions, undercutting American educators and prioritizing foreign hires over domestic workers.
Since September, U.S. employers seeking new H-1B visas have had to factor in a steep $100,000 sponsorship fee on top of existing application expenses that already run between roughly $9,500 and $18,800. In California, though, school districts have increasingly turned to H-1B hires as a way to keep classrooms staffed amid persistent shortages.
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State education data underscore how quickly that reliance has grown. According to the California Department of Education, school districts submitted more than 300 H-1B visa applications for the 2023–24 academic year, about double the number filed just two years earlier. Many of those hires were aimed at shoring up dual-language classrooms and special education, with some districts even using the visas to fill physical education roles.
The growing dependence on foreign hires comes against the backdrop of a deepening teacher crunch in California. In 2023, close to 47,000 classrooms were staffed by educators working outside their credentialed areas, and more than 22,000 teaching positions went unfilled altogether. The gaps were most pronounced in English language development and special education, where districts have struggled the most to find qualified candidates.
Some districts say they have had little choice but to look beyond US borders. West Contra Costa Unified School District, east of San Francisco, has used overseas recruitment to plug staffing gaps, bringing in about 88 teachers on H-1B visas, largely from the Philippines, Spain and Mexico. District leaders warn that the newly imposed fee could make this approach financially untenable.
Teachers’ unions echo those concerns, cautioning that restricting international hires would stretch already overburdened staff even further and risk disrupting continuity in classrooms.
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The changes have also revived a broader debate over whether the H-1B program is being extended to jobs some critics view as “less specialized.” A physical education teacher identified as HR, who is currently in the U.S. on a short-term J-1 visa, said he could be forced to leave the country once his visa expires, underscoring the uncertainty facing international educators. “Everybody says here that they need teachers in California … but they don’t want to do anything to [help us stay] here,” he said.
Just weeks after the policy was announced, a coalition of unions, worker advocacy groups, and religious organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the administration, arguing that the steep fee would have serious repercussions for both education and healthcare staffing.
The uncertainty has taken a personal toll on many international educators. “I feel like it’s a form of discrimination to impose $100,000 fee for teachers,” said A.F., an elementary school teacher on an H-1B visa.
The policy has also drawn criticism from political leaders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to X, writing: “Another example of how H1B visas are used to hire foreigners when an American could easily fill the roll.”