DEED reports heavy use of international visas for teachers and seeks waiver for new H‑1B fee

Deputy Director Kelly Manning told the subcommittee that most Alaska districts rely on two international visa categories for educators: H‑1B (specialty-occupation) and J‑1 (exchange). She said DEED's first statewide accounting showed about 280 H‑1B and 180 J‑1 educators in the fall 2025 staff accounting and that the department is monitoring a newly instituted $100,000 supplemental H‑1B fee that applies to new applications after 2025.

Manning said the department submitted a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State requesting a waiver of that supplemental fee, citing Alaska's recruitment needs and high turnover in remote districts. She described additional supports: the Northwest Comprehensive Center grant (Education Northwest) will develop one-pagers and tools to help districts use visa options and DEED is coordinating with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and federal partners.

Jennifer Schmidt, director of the Alaska Educator Recruitment and Retention Center, told the committee that extension and filing costs often exceed a single low online filing fee number once attorney and paperwork costs are included: "the paperwork fees and the attorney fees to do extensions are a little bit more expensive than that." Schmidt said she could provide district-level breakouts of how many visa holders will need replacement in coming years.

Members pressed on the implications for rural communities, noting J‑1 eligibility requires community amenities like grocery and medical facilities; Manning confirmed some remote communities no longer meet J‑1 requirements and that districts may need to rely on H‑1B or other strategies. Manning and the commissioner said the department is expanding apprenticeship programs to reduce long-term dependence on international hires; the DEED apprenticeship effort currently includes roughly 90 participants, about 47 of whom are under DEED sponsorship.