The recently announced $100,000 H-1B visa fee will apply only to new visa applications and is not an annual charge, the White House press secretary clarified on Saturday. The announcement comes after widespread confusion and concern over the implications of a presidential proclamation issued Friday by US President Donald Trump.The proclamation, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” introduced a major overhaul of the H-1B visa program, significantly increasing the fee from the current $2,000–5,000 range to $100,000. The move sparked fears among immigration attorneys, Indian IT professionals, and companies that holders outside the US might face urgent deadlines to return, and raised questions about potential disruption to the country’s tech talent pipeline.In response, the White House press secretary clarified the following points:
- This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.
- Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation.
- This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders.
This comes amid reports that companies asked employees on visit to India to rush back to avoid the fees.Amid the chaos, a senior US administration official told ANI also, “Those visiting or leaving the country, or traveling to India, do not need to rush back before Sunday or pay the $100,000 fee,” echoing similar statement to Levitt’s adding, “It is applicable only for new visa applications.”Industry representatives in both India and the US have highlighted that H-1B talent mobility is crucial for innovation, economic growth, and technological development. The White House said policymakers will continue to assess the steps, taking into account mutual benefits, including strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.
