India, Sept. 25 -- A proposed $103,265 H-1B visa fee could end up costing the US Treasury billions of dollars over the next decade if the steep increase prompts employers to reduce applications, according to a new analysis by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) Research Center.

The study challenges the Department of Homeland Security's assumption that employers will continue filing about 85,000 cap-subject H-1B petitions each year after the proposed fee is introduced. DHS has estimated that the charge could generate about $8.8 billion in annual revenue.

The proposed fee is part of a broader overhaul of the H-1B program under the Trump administration and would apply to cap-subject petitions, including those eligible...