US races to calm H1B fee storm...

The Trump administration has clarified that the new $100,000 fee for H1B visas is a onetime payment applicable only to new petitions and does not apply to current visa holders, providing a huge relief for thousands of concerned professionals working in the US, including from India.

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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement that President Trump's new H1B visa requirement applies only to new, prospective petitions that have not yet been filed.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that "to be clear", the $100,000 fee is not an annual but a onetime charge. "Those who already hold H1B visas and are currently outside of the country will not be charged $100,000 to reenter. H1B visa holders can leave and reenter the country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by the proclamation," she said.

Leavitt added that the proclamation applies only to new visas, not renewals, and will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle.

HIB petitions submitted before the effective proclamation date of September 21 are not affected, the USCIS statement said. Those visa-holders currently outside the US also do not need to pay the fee for reentering the country.