How uncertainty over new H-1B visa policy is affecting one Seattle-area nonprofit

Tech might be the largest sector to hire foreign workers using H-1B visas, but many nonprofits also rely on the program to fill positions.

A new $100,000 fee associated with the visa and the controversy surrounding it have put organizations in a bind, though. It’s also created a level of uncertainty for job-seekers.

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Del thought she had lined up a job after earning a master’s degree this summer at the University of Washington.

“Just like one light at the end of the tunnel,” Del said, after navigating the stresses of job hunting.

Del came to the U.S. from Mongolia with her family in 2022. She asked that KUOW use her first name only because she’s worried about the ramifications of the new visa policy.

Del was excited to put her degree in medical speech language pathology to use at Listen and Talk, a nonprofit organization in Kirkland that works with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“I was always fascinated with language, language and the brain, how the brain worked,” Del said.

Listen and Talk is also where she had done research during her education. Mona Oster, the organization’s education and research director, was just as excited about having Del join their nonprofit.

“I knew about her prior experience working with the Global Foundation in Mongolia, and doing hearing screening and having done research here as a research assistant at the University of Washington, we got really excited,” Oster said.

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Oster’s organization uses a method known as Listening and Spoken Language, or LSL, to build children’s language skills, instead of using American Sign language. She acknowledged it’s controversial in the deaf education community, which considers sign language crucial for language development and cultural identity. Oster said there’s a range of approaches to deaf education and, ultimately, families choose what works best for them and their children.

But Oster said there aren’t many professionals who are trained in LSL. She knew Del would require an H-1B visa, usually reserved for skilled foreign workers with a bachelor’s or advanced degree. It wouldn’t be the first time Listen and Talk sponsored an immigrant.

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“They decided to sponsor me for an H-1B visa, and that was 18 years ago,” Oster explained. “So, when we knew about Del’s situation, I thought, yeah, we can do that. We have done it before.”

Oster’s meeting with Del was in September. They made plans to consult an immigration lawyer soon because Del didn’t have much time left on her student visa. Then, on Sept. 19, just days before the appointment with the lawyer, the White House issued a new executive order. The Trump administration imposed a new H-1B visa fee of $100,000 for new applicants. Before the new fee, it cost between $2,000 and $5,000 . Panic and confusion followed. The lawyer provided little clarity.

“We keep going between [the new fee] may not apply, to maybe it will apply,” Oster said.

In addition to the new fee, the administration has proposed overhauling the program, arguing the system has been exploited to replace American workers with lower paid labor. New visas are granted on a lottery system and are capped at 85,000 per year.

Oster said Listen and Talk will go ahead and prepare the paperwork to start the process, with a caveat: “We are absolutely not able to pay that $100,000 fee," she explained. “And if that becomes a reality, then we would not be able to follow through on that process.”

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As they wait, Del said each passing day adds to her feeling of powerlessness.

“I know my worth,” Del said. “I know I deserve it, but still for a nonprofit, they can’t afford it. I know that very clearly."

To complicate matters, the federal shutdown has hampered their ability to file for an H-1B visa.