Alaska Schools Seek Relief from H-1B Visa Fees Amid Teacher Shortage

Washington, March 14: A U.S. senator has introduced a bill aimed at reducing the costs of H-1B visas for public schools in Alaska. The proposal seeks to exempt K-12 public schools from the new $100,000 fee imposed on each H-1B visa, allowing schools to continue hiring foreign teachers.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska stated that the bill intends to provide relief to school districts heavily reliant on international teachers to operate their classrooms.

Murkowski emphasized, “As soon as this announcement was made last year, I alerted the administration about how crucial the H-1B visa program is for Alaska’s school districts.”

She noted that the state’s public schools have long struggled with teacher shortages, and educators on H-1B visas play a vital role in addressing this gap.

This proposal comes at a time when many Alaskan school districts face challenges in recruiting teachers locally, particularly in remote and rural areas where there has been a longstanding dependence on foreign educators.

According to education officials, hundreds of teachers in Alaska are currently working on visas, and more than half of the state’s school districts require international teachers to fill classroom positions.

Dr. Lisa Parady, executive director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, stated that international teachers are essential for keeping classrooms operational across the state. She warned that such a high visa fee could make it “financially impossible” for many districts to continue hiring teachers.

Similarly, Dr. Cindy Mika, superintendent of the Kodiak Island Borough School District, expressed that the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee has made it difficult for districts like hers to recruit necessary teachers. She noted that about 20% of teachers in her district work on visas, and approximately 75% of teachers in village schools are international.

She clarified that these teachers are not replacing American educators; rather, there are simply no local applicants for many positions.

Other education officials have also indicated that several districts in the state are facing budget deficits, making it impractical to pay a $100,000 visa fee for each foreign teacher.

This bill follows a presidential announcement in September 2025, which mandated an additional $100,000 fee on top of the existing application fees for H-1B visa applicants.

While the H-1B visa program is typically utilized by U.S. tech companies to recruit skilled professionals, many school districts have also turned to this program to fill the shortage of qualified teachers.