Key Points:

The Trump administration’s immigration overhaul on the H-1B visa program declared on 19 September, 2025 has caused immense panic and concern among the visa holders.

Amid the immense confusion regarding the $100,000 fee payment on new H-1 petitions, the white house has given clarification on the matter. On 20 September, 2025 the White House clarified that the $100,000 (over Rs 88 Lakhs) fee for the H-1B visa is not an annual fee but a one time payment for new petitions. 

Trump’s recent proclamation was a move taken to “curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security.” The White House stated that the $100,000 H-1B visa will be used as a measure to protect American jobs.

See Also: Trump Declares $100K Fee on H-1B Visa Applications, Effectively Scrapping the Program

The program will assist in curbing the hiring of foreign people who are paid lower instead of hiring American citizens. A press release published on the White House website states that the new rule over the H-1B visa will be implemented from September 21, 2025.

The administration declared that there has been a surge in H-1B visas especially in the technology sector. The proclamation with the title, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” declared a new overhaul on the H-1 B visa.

The recent overhaul in Trump’s proclamation has introduced an increase in the fee which earlier ranged from $ 2000-5000. The fee payment on new petitions has skyrocketed to a whooping amount of $100,000 and candidates will be barred from the country without the proof of the H-1B visa payment. 

The order created a ruckus among the foreign workers causing confusion and panic among them. The White House has released a clarification on the H-1B visa fee on 20 September 2025 that the new overhaul does not affect current visa holders.

The fee will be imposed on new visa holders or visa applicants for the upcoming cycle that will begin in March 2026. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt gave clarification regarding the H-1b visa fee in an X post.

She started the post with “to be clear” and further laid on three points that clear out any confusion. Leavitt stated that the visa fee is not annual and is a one time payment. She said, “It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.” 

She further explained that those individuals who are currently outside the country will not be imposed with $100,000 to re-enter the country. “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,” said Leavitt. 

The press secretary Karoline Leavitt further wrote in her X post that the new immigration overhaul is for the new visas. She stated, “This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle.”

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also clarified that the $100,000 fee will be imposed on new applicants and the petitions which were filed before September 21 will be excluded.

H-1 B is a section for non immigrant visas in the United States that allows the employers to hire foreign workers in a speciality occupation. The white house has expressed that the sudden increase in the number of H-1 visas from 325 in 2003 to 65 % is a concern. They stated that Trump's move was a measure to control unemployment by giving jobs back to the people of America.

The announcement of the visa program immediately caused a stir among the foreign workers, especially Indians. Out of the 3,99,395 H-1B visas which were approved in the year 2024, nearly 71% of the visa holders were reportedly Indians. 

[Rh/VS]

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