Nigerian doctors, according to reports, are amongst a select few from the country who could be exempted from the new $100,000 fee for high-skilled US H-1B Visa applications imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

The executive order, which was released penultimate Friday, noted that the application fees can be waived if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the hiring of these workers on an individual basis, or to work for a specific company or industry is “in the national interest”.

However, citing an email from Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, on Monday in Bloomberg reported that “the Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents”.

The H-1B Visa has served as a gateway for some of Nigeria’s brightest minds to enter the US workforce, acting as a crucial launch-pad for building long-term careers in America. Data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services showed that tech, education, and medicine were among the top employment sectors for foreign skilled workers.

Amazon secured more than 10,000 H-1B Visas in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta platforms had more than 5,000 approvals each.

The programme allows for 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees. Nigeria was ranked 11th largest in the export of talents to the US and the first in Africa.