Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin on June 2 to consider exemptions to H-1B visa fees for qualified medical professionals in rural areas and to improve the H-2B visa program for employers in Maine.
During a hearing reviewing the 2027 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security, Collins raised concerns about high fees associated with H-1B visas. She said, “Many rural areas in Maine face shortages of qualified medical professionals, which makes attracting them and recruiting them critical to the health of our communities.” Collins cited an example from Presque Isle, Maine: “Recently this rural hospital was forced to pay the $100,000 H-1B fee for a much-needed surgeon. Would you be willing to consider carving out an exemption for medical professionals from this fee when a community can demonstrate that there is not a medical professional available?”
Mullin responded by outlining current processes and potential flexibility: “We do have some authority and flexibility to be able to waive some of this on case by case. We had 286,000 applicants a year to date for the H-1B visas. Out of those, over 200,000 of them paid the $100,000… If people want to look for an exemption… it takes about seven and a half months… We can speed that up to some degree, but to actually have a carve out, it would be difficult. We’re happy to look into it… because I agree… how hard it is to get doctors.” Collins emphasized differences between sectors using these visas: “There’s a huge difference between bringing in a computer expert from another country… versus a much-needed surgeon at a rural hospital.”
Collins also addressed issues with seasonal labor under the H-2B visa program: “Many communities in Maine rely heavily on H-2B visas during our busy tourism seasons…. more than 13 million tourists came… that’s 10 times our population…. so that seasonal H-2B program is critical.” She suggested possible reforms such as exempting employers with strong compliance records or reinstating previous returning worker exemptions.
Mullin replied that he has limited authority but expressed willingness within those limits: “To raise the cap above a significant number, Congress will have to set that new number or give me authority…. Returning workers … if they’ve been able … I’d be happy … streamline process…. we’ve been working with USCIS … trying cut back bureaucracy…. any way you see system can work better … I’ll be happy work with you.” The Senate Appropriations Committee oversees federal expenditures as mandated by law and manages legislation related to federal funding while conducting hearings on spending proposals, according to its official website.
The hearing concluded with commitments from both parties toward further discussions about possible improvements within existing legal frameworks.
