Revised H-1B visa fee only for new applicants: White House official

The H-1B visa fee of USD 100,000 would be applicable only to new applicants- not current visa holders who may be travelling outside the US — according to a US official, granted anonymity to speak about the policy. The US official said in a Politico report that current H-1B visa holders “do not need to be rushing back before Sunday”., a White House official clarified on Saturday. The clarification came a day after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the fee on the visas used by companies to hire workers, including from India, to live and work in the US. “The H-1B fee is likely to face legal challenges. But if it survives, companies that hire skilled international workers would have to pay USD 100,000 each year for any employee working on the visa, for up to six years,” the White House official was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

To be clear:

1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.

2.) 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…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 20, 2025

Many Indians in the US on H-1B visas cancelled their plans to travel to India hours after Trump’s order. While many cancelled plans to travel at the last minute while waiting to board flights to India, several others already in India are scrambling to return amid lack of clarity, weeks before Indian professionals and their families travel to India for Diwali and other year-end holidays. Currently, the H-1B visa fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants ranges from about USD 2,000 to USD 5,000, depending on employer size and other costs. The H-1B visas, which are very popular among Indian tech professionals, are valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years.