How U.S. Companies Can Protect ROI with Nearshore LATAM Talent
The new $100,000 H-1B visa fee is reshaping global hiring. Discover how nearshore Latin American talent and TN visas offer smarter, cost-efficient alternatives.
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When H-1B Visas Became Too Expensive
In September 2025, the U.S. immigration landscape changed profoundly: a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions has forced many employers to rethink their strategies for sourcing foreign talent. For companies that depend on international IT professionals, the cost increase (combined with limited visa quotas and uncertain processing times) puts a squeeze on budgets and project timelines.
The good news? You have options. More and more U.S. companies are turning to alternatives like nearshore staffing from Latin America (LATAM) and TN visas for Mexican professionals that can help U.S. companies maintain access to specialized talent while protecting Return On Investment.
The Financial Impact of the New H-1B Fee
Under the updated policy, employers sponsoring an H-1B visa must now pay a non-refundable
$100,000 petition fee in addition to existing filing and legal costs. That means a single foreign hire can easily exceed $120,000–$140,000 in upfront administrative expenses, before even considering salaries, relocation, or compliance obligations.
| Cost component | Approx. amount (USD) | Timing |
| Previous H-1B filing & legal fees | $10,000 – $15,000 | Before approval |
| New H-1B petition fee (2025) | $100,000 | Prior to application |
| Relocation + onboarding | $5,000 – $10,000 | After approval |
| New Total upfront cost | $115,000 – $125,000+ | Before first day of work |
For many technology, engineering, and consulting firms, these costs are unsustainable, especially for project-based or short-term needs.
Why U.S. Employers Are Turning to Nearshore LATAM Teams
The nearshore staffing model offers a direct financial and operational alternative to the H-1B route. By partnering with an established provider like Florida-based Fast Dolphin, companies can access bilingual, pre-vetted IT and Engineering professionals across Latin America who work remotely in overlapping U.S. time zones (no visa, relocation, nor petition costs required).
Key Financial Advantages
1. Immediate cost reduction of up to 60%
Nearshore consultants typically cost 40-60% less than U.S.-based resources. Combined with zero visa expenses, this translates into significant annual savings per role.
2. Faster ROI
With nearshore staffing, qualified profiles can be delivered in 24-48 hours, compared with 6-8 months for H-1B approval. That means faster project ramp-up and therefore revenue recognition.
3. Scalability without headcount risk
Nearshore professionals operate through flexible models (temporary, contract-to-hire, or dedicated teams), allowing companies to scale resources without inflating payroll or long-term liabilities.
4. No compliance overhead
Since consultants remain employed under local contracts, the employer avoids U.S. employment law risks and complex visa audits. Fast Dolphin manages payroll, benefits, and tax compliance in every LATAM country.
Two Strategic Alternatives to H-1B Sponsorship
1. Fully Remote Nearshore Staffing (No Visa Required)
For many IT roles, full remote collaboration is now the standard. Through nearshore staff augmentation, U.S. companies can integrate LATAM-based professionals into their teams just as they would with local employees: same tools, same hours, lower cost.
Advantages
- Zero immigration paperwork or government
- Full time-zone alignment with S. operations.
- Access to specialized skills such as SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, Cloud, Data/AI, and DevOps, among many others.
- Flexible engagement models: temporary, long-term, or project-
Example:
A U.S. software company replaces two H-1B developer positions with senior Salesforce and AWS engineers from Colombia and Mexico through Fast Dolphin’s nearshore network, cutting staffing costs by 55%, and onboarding time from 7 months to 2 weeks.
2. Hybrid and TN-Visa Models for Mexican Professionals
If your company requires on-site collaboration but needs to avoid the cost and uncertainty of H-1B sponsorship, partnering with a specialized nearshore staffing provider like Fast Dolphin
opens the door to a compliant alternative: the TN Visa program under the USMCA agreement (formerly NAFTA). Through this, companies can hire qualified Mexican professionals under TN status with the administrative convenience of an outsourced engagement. This hybrid model combines the operational advantages of nearshore staffing with the legal authorization for
on-site work in the U.S.
Why it works with a nearshore partner:
- Fast and compliant process: Fast Dolphin manages all the documentation, contracts, and coordination required for TN Visa eligibility, minimizing HR workload and compliance
- Valid for up to three years and renewable indefinitely, allowing continuity in long-term
- Access to 60+ approved occupations, including software engineers, analysts, technology consultants, mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, etc.
- No lottery system, and visa approval typically takes days, not months.
- Total TN Visa cost under $2,000, compared to $100,000+ for an H-1B.
Example:
A Texas manufacturing firm needs an SAP consultant on-site for 12 months. Instead of sponsoring an H-1B, they partner with Fast Dolphin to contract a Mexican SAP S/4HANA consultant under the TN Visa route. As a result, the company achieves 75% cost savings, faster onboarding, and full compliance with U.S.–Mexico labor and immigration regulations.
ROI Snapshot: Nearshore vs. H-1B
| Metric | H-1B Visa Hire | Nearshore LATAM Consultant |
| Upfront cost | ≈ $115,000 – $125,000 | $0 (no visa) |
| Average monthly rate | $12,000 – $15,000 | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| Time-to-hire | 6–8 months | 1-2 weeks |
| Legal risk | High (DOL/USCIS audits) | Low (local employer of record) |
| Renewal process | Every 3 years | Flexible, project-based |
| Total annual savings | – | ≈ 50-60 % per role |
Strategic Takeaway
The new H-1B fee has turned traditional global hiring into a high-stakes investment. For U.S. companies competing in fast-moving industries like software, data, manufacturing, and cloud services, every dollar (and every week) counts. As a result, companies have been looking for alternatives to maintain access to top technical talent while reducing cost, complexity, and time-to-market by leveraging LATAM nearshore professionals through remote or TN Visa models.
Partnering with a dedicated firm like Fast Dolphin ensures compliance, payroll management, and flawless integration across borders so teams can remain focused on project delivery.
Key Takeaways
- The new $100K H-1B fee increases foreign-hiring costs by > 1000 %.
- Nearshore LATAM staffing cuts project cost by up to 60 % and reduces ramp-up time to days.
- TN Visas for Mexican professionals provide on-site flexibility with minimal
- Partnering with a nearshore expert like Fast Dolphin ensures legal, fiscal, and operational efficiency across LATAM.
Your Move: Is Nearshore Right for You?
Look, the H-1B landscape isn’t getting any easier (or cheaper). But you don’t have to let these new costs derail your hiring plans. If you’re ready to explore what nearshore talent can do for you, schedule a call to walk through the ROI and understand how much you could save while still getting the expertise you need.