Lead: A new presidential proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H‑1B petitions has prompted urgent questions across research universities about the policy’s scope and exemptions and potential effects on faculty recruitment and sponsored research. What happened: The July 1, 2028 phase‑out timeline for income‑contingent repayment was separate from the H‑1B fee, but the immigration change itself—announced in September and further narrowed by USCIS guidance—has sown confusion about which petitions and employers will be subject to the surcharge. Legal and higher‑education experts are still parsing guidance about change‑of‑status exemptions for F‑1 and J‑1 holders. Who’s involved: The Trump administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, counsel firms (e.g., Wildes & Weinberg) and campus offices of international hiring. Large research institutions such as Stanford, Michigan and Columbia were identified as heavy users of H‑1B sponsorship. Why it matters: If broadly applied, the fee could deter international hires who staff labs, lead sponsored projects and teach high‑demand courses—raising risks to research capacity, grant performance and graduate training pipelines.