With the recent headlines about the new $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, prospective MBA students are asking: Will this affect me?
At Personal MBA Coach, we think the answer for today’s MBA applicants is no.
Despite the noise, if you are applying to business school this year (for entry in 2026 or later), you will almost certainly be insulated from the immediate impact of these changes. Let’s walk through why.
Your Timeline Works in Your Favor
Most candidates applying now for full-time MBA programs will not begin classes until fall of 2026. Graduation will follow in Spring of 2028 (this timeline is even later for deferred applicants). Upon graduation, international students on an F-1 visa are typically eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT), a work authorization that allows you to remain in the U.S. and work for a year.
If your MBA program is STEM-designated (and nearly all leading MBA programs now are), you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. That means you could work legally in the U.S. for up to 36 months after graduation—taking you into 2029 or 2030 before you would need H-1B sponsorship.
In other words, even if the $100,000 fee policy survived its first year, you would still have time before it touched your career.
Experts Expect the Policy to Be Short-Lived
While the $100,000 H-1B requirement is striking, very few experts expect it to endure in its current form. The presidential proclamation itself is scheduled to last only one year, unless extended. That limited scope alone signals it is a temporary measure. Beyond the built-in expiration, legal experts anticipate strong judicial challenges and question the rule’s staying power. According to the American Immigration Council:
“The proclamation likely will face legal challenge as conflicting with immigration law for restricting entry and for fees associated with the H-1B category.”
Further, according to Bloomberg Law:
“President Donald Trump’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas flouts clear requirements of federal immigration law and will invite immediate lawsuits, attorneys said.”
Even without a change in the U.S. political environment, Personal MBA Coach does not expect this change to be long-lived in its current form.
The Political Landscape Will Be Very Different by 2030
Finally, it is important to remember that U.S. immigration rules are as much a product of politics as they are of policy. The H-1B program has shifted dramatically from one administration to the next, and there is every reason to expect continued change.
By the time current MBA applicants finish school in 2028 and exhaust their 36 months of OPT in 2030 or beyond, the U.S. political environment will almost certainly look very different. A new president, a new Congress, or even new economic realities could completely reshape visa policy—just as we have seen repeatedly over the past two decades.
What This Means for MBA Applicants
If you are an international applicant weighing whether to apply to U.S. business schools in 2025, here is the bottom line:
- You will likely graduate after the rule’s one-year window. The proclamation expires after 12 months unless explicitly renewed.
- You may have up to three years of OPT work authorization after graduation if you enroll in a STEM-eligible MBA program. This takes you well beyond the current policy horizon.
- Experts widely expect the fee to be struck down or revised due to legal challenges and political pushback.
Final Thoughts from Personal MBA Coach
The bottom line: There is little reason to believe that a policy introduced in late 2025 will remain intact into the next decade. By 2030, when most of today’s MBA candidates would first be affected, the political and legal landscape will likely have shifted multiple times.
So, while it is smart to stay informed, Personal MBA Coach thinks it would be a mistake to let this news derail your MBA ambitions. If anything, now is the time to double down: Select a STEM-eligible MBA program, maximize your post-graduation work authorization, and trust that the U.S. business and legal ecosystem will continue to evolve in ways that value international talent.
Looking for help with your MBA Applications? Reach out today!
