Rural Pennsylvania could face new challenges in filling critical healthcare staffing as a result of a new $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, a program that allows educated foreign workers to fill labor shortages in the United States.

President Donald Trump announced the proposal in a recent proclamation, part of his administration’s broader effort to restrict immigration in all forms. Experts and lawyers warn that some changes may not be legal and could have unintentional consequences for communities already struggling to recruit medical professionals.

Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, said the issue ties into broader demographic trends.

“With population aging and with lower fertility rates, the number of people in th

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