During his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday, Mullin stated that the DHS had received approximately 286,000 H-1B applications for the fiscal year 2026.
“We’ve had 286,000 applicants so far this year for H-1B visas, and out of those, more than 200,000 opted to pay $100,000 to expedite the process,” Mullin said in response to a question from US Senator Susan Collins regarding the shortage of doctors in rural areas.
Mullin explained that those who pay the $100,000 fee have their applications processed in around 15 days, whereas other applications take about 7.5 months.
Collins mentioned that a hospital in Presque Isle, a rural community in northern Maine, recently paid the fee to bring in a much-needed surgeon from abroad.
She emphasized that medical service providers in remote areas should be treated differently than employers hiring highly skilled workers in sectors with a larger domestic labor force.
“Would you consider creating an exemption for medical professionals from this fee when a community proves there is no available medical professional?” Collins asked.
Mullin assured the Senator that he would explore potential solutions for handling such applications with more flexibility on a case-by-case basis.
“I believe there’s a significant difference between bringing a computer expert from another country to work in affluent California and Silicon Valley versus a required surgeon for a rural hospital in northern Maine,” she remarked.
Republican Senator from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, expressed concerns about the shortage of teachers in rural school districts in her state.
“I’ll follow up with you regarding the previous issue I raised concerning H-1B visas for teachers,” Murkowski told Mullin.
