Science Policy This Week: September 22, 2025

What’s Ahead

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

GAO

Trump introduces major fees for high-skill visa program

President Donald Trump has announced plans to dramatically increase fees associated with the H-1B visa program, creating new hurdles for scientists and engineers looking to work in the U.S. In a proclamation on Friday, Trump said that U.S. companies’ reliance on foreign workers has taken opportunities away from domestic talent and discouraged Americans from pursuing careers in science and technology, creating a national security threat. To address this, the Trump administration is introducing a $100,000 visa fee for companies that vie for the 85,000 visas granted through the program each year via a lottery system.

It is unclear how this change will impact universities and other nonprofit research organizations that use a version of H-1B visas that are exempt from the annual cap that applies to companies. The proclamation language, and subsequent additional information shared by the Trump administration, does not specifically exempt these institutions from the new fees, though it notes exemptions may be granted under a “national interest” clause.

In addition to substantial new H-1B visa fees, the proclamation states the Trump administration will look to raise the wage requirements for applicants, ensuring the program is “used to hire only the best of the best of temporary foreign workers,” according to the State Department. The administration is also planning to give higher-paid H-1B visa applicants priority in the program’s lottery process. Various aspects of the proclamation are likely to be challenged in court.

In related news impacting foreign STEM talent, the Department of Homeland Security issued a draft rule last month that would create new restrictions on visas for international students. The proposed changes include capping visa duration at four years, instead of issuing visas for the duration of the applicant’s academic program. That move could create hurdles for PhD candidates, whose degrees often take more than four years to complete and would require them to reapply to extend their stay. The comment period for the rule closes on Sept. 29.

Threat of government shutdown escalates

The deadline for Congress to agree a fiscal year 2026 budget is fast approaching but Republicans and Democrats still appear far from consensus, raising the possibility of a government shutdown starting Oct. 1. The Senate did not pass a Republican-authored stopgap spending bill last week that would have continued federal funding at near current levels through Nov. 21. All but one Democrat opposed the bill, demanding increased healthcare funds. The same stopgap spending bill passed by 217-212 in the House, putting pressure on the Senate to avoid a government shutdown. All but one House Democrat voted against the bill. An alternative proposal put forward by Democrats also failed in the Senate last week by a vote of 47-45 along party lines. The Democrat bill would have continued funding through the end of October and included language protecting science missions underway at NASA as well as programs funded by the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

National labs see layoffs and voluntary separations

Pacific Northwest National Lab saw involuntary layoffs last week, following offerings of voluntary separation to some staff, according to a lab spokesperson. The lab originally asked for 90 volunteers but said that the necessary number of volunteers was not achieved. The spokesperson did not address how many people were laid off or accepted voluntary separations. Staff at Fermi and Argonne Labs have also received voluntary separation offers in the last month, according to the Chicago PBS station WTTW. Argonne aimed to cap the accepted separation offers at 60. At Sandia Labs, layoffs of 400 people are planned to be completed by October, Source NM reported last month. Steeper job losses have been feared across the national lab system but apparently have not yet occurred. Back in July, California lawmakers expressed concerns about the prospect of mass layoffs at national labs.

Also on our radar

NSF announced 15 finalists for its Regional Innovation Engines program last week, which include Quantum Connected led by the University of Chicago, Advancing Quantum Technologies led by the University of Connecticut, Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) led by Oregon State University, Advancing Photonics Technologies led by the Princeton University, and the STELLAR laser initiative led by the University of Rochester.
NSF has yet to release the solicitation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program, causing stress among prospective applicants.
The U.S. has placed export restrictions on two more branches of the Chinese Academy of Sciences – the National Time Service Center and the Aerospace Research Institute – the latest in a series of restrictions placed on branches of CAS.
A new report from Republicans on the House CCP Committee claims that the Biden administration failed to adequately enforce visa restrictions on certain Chinese graduate students and researchers that were implemented during the first Trump administration.
NASA’s increasing involvement with the Department of Defense has drawn criticism from House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) on the grounds it could undermine NASA’s public image and distract the agency from its core missions.