H1B Visa News LIVE Highlights: Amid all the the confusion around the new H-1B visa fee hike, White House on Saturday clarified that the $100,000 fee is not a annual charge and won’t apply to existing holders of valid visas re-entering the country
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, “This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.” And, goes on to add that current H-1B visa holders who are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter the United States.
Donald Trump’s surprise H-1B visa fee hike of $100,000 (~ ₹90 lakh) on Saturday triggered a wave of panic – leaving tech giants including Meta, Microsoft at the edge.
The POTUS’s signing the proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain nonimmigrant workers’ is expected to hit India the most, with the nation dominating the number of H-1B visa grantees. India said all implications of the H-1B visa fee hike is being studied by all concerned, noting that the move could have humanitarian consequences.
Some companies including Microsoft, JPMorgan , and Amazon, had responded to the Friday announcement by advising employees holding H-1B visas to remain in the United States.
Stay tuned to LiveMint for all the H1B Visa News LIVE Updates
India has been recorded as the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71 per cent of approved beneficiaries.
While China was a distant second at 11.7 per cent, according to government data.
The H-1B visa fee, which was previously around a thousand dollars will now be increased to $100,000.
This means, employers who are seeking to bring an Indian employee to the US will have to pay nearly 90 lakh rupees.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: The increase in the H-1B visa fee hike can potentially lead to more remote hiring, with a special focus on India, which would benefit Indian tech professionals.
“The increase in visa fees will likely limit the number of Indians taking up onsite roles in US organisations might now favour on-site and nearshore delivery models due to the higher costs associated with H-1B visas,” said Ritu Sethi, Partner, Technology at ABC Consultants.
Donald Trump, on Friday evening, 19 September 2025, announced that new applicants under the H-1B visa will have to pay a one-time charge of $100,000.
Notably, this move from the US federal government could also reduce the number of Indians taking roles based in the US due to the drop in onshore work for new employees looking to work in the US with an H-1B visa.
Read more here
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Industry experts anticipate that the rising cost for the H-1B visa may push US-based companies towards remote hiring, while limiting on-site roles for foreign workers in the United States.
“The recent hike in the H-1B visa fee will likely boost remote hiring from India, as many multinational firms may prefer hiring skilled talent on a remote basis. While navigating the changing immigration laws, this shift will also provide increased access and employability opportunities for Indian tech professionals within such firms,” Ritu Sethi, Partner, Technology at ABC Consultants, told Mint.
Tech companies in the United States based out of Silicon Valley have a major chunk of their workforce from Indian and Chinese origins. These people rely on the H-1B work visa. Even though White House has clarified that this one-time $100,000 charge will be imposed on new H-1B visa applicants, people around the world will look towards the impact of this decision in the long run.
Read more here
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: A sense of panic, confusion, and anger has been looming over the foreign workers who are currently H-1B visa holders as the tech companies have recalled their workforce to come back to the United States before the deadlines kick in.
According to a recent Reuters report, foreign nationals who work in the US in the tech sector or banking have been called back via urgent memos, and have been instructed not to leave the country.
This emerged even though a White House official clarified that the order applied only to new applicants and not holders of existing visas or those seeking renewals.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to increase the H-1B visa fees to $100,000 annually has set off alarm bells in Silicon Valley, where companies employ many employees from Indian or Chinese origin.
In a memorandum, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow wrote that the proclamation — ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ — issued by President Trump on Friday only applies prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed.
The proclamation does not apply to individuals who “are the beneficiaries of petitions that were filed prior to the effective date of the proclamation, are the beneficiaries of currently approved petitions, or are in possession of validly issued H-1B non-immigrant visas”.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick gave the following details:
The initial registration period for the 2027 fiscal year H-1B cap is expected to open around March next year. Last year, there was a USD 215 H-1B registration fee for each registration submitted on behalf of each beneficiary.
Under a government mandated limit, the US can issue a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas every year and another 20,000 to those who have obtained master’s and higher degrees from the US, as per a PTI report.
The H1B visa fee was between $2,000-5,000, depending on employer size and other costs.
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
White House Spokesperson Taylor Rogers told PTI that President Trump “promised to put American workers first, and this commonsense action does just that by discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down wages.”
“It also gives certainty to American businesses that actually want to bring high-skilled workers to our great country but have been trampled on by abuses of the system,” she added.
Edelweiss Chief Radhika Gupta, reacted to Donald Trump’s move to increase the H-1B visa fees. Radhika Gupta, empathising with the Indian students studying abroad, she shared how back in her time in the US, the federal government’s H-1B visa norms were ‘more favourable’ for the students who wanted to work in the US after completing their graduation. Here’s her advice for the Indian students in US…
The H-1B programme grants 65,000 visas each year to employers hiring temporary foreign workers in specialised fields, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees.
Almost all visa fees must be paid by employers. The H-1B visas are granted for a period of three to six years, according to a report by Reuters.
United States President Donald Trump on September 19 signed a proclamation titled ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’, which hikes H-1B visa fees to $1,00,000 for all new applications.
Amid vast confusion over the scope and finer details of the new rule that comes into effect today, we take a look at the impact of the decision on workers and their families, who is exempted, how companies have reacted, and what has been India’s response. Read here
Companies such as Microsoft and JP Morgan have already issued directives for their employees. Microsoft has asked H-1B and H-4 visa holders who are currently outside the United States to return to the country before the September 21 deadline, reported Reuters. JP Morgan, on the other hand, asked the H-1B visa holder to avoid international travel until further guidance is provided.
As per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
Which means, the stastay of families of H-1B visa holders stay in the the US is directly tied to the status of the H-1B holder. If the worker loses their job or status, dependents also lose their legal stay.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that Donald Trump’s plan “was being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry.″
The ministry warned that “this measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities.”
More than 70% of H-1B visa holders are from India.
Companies including Microsoft, JPMorgan, and Amazon after the announcement advised employees holding H-1B visas to remain in the United States, according to internal emails reviewed by Reuters.
A Goldman Sachs internal memo seen by Reuters on Saturday urged employees with such visas to exercise caution on international travel.
Releasing a factsheet, Karoline Leavitt highlighted four points:
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 country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation.
3) This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders.
4) It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle.
The White House in a social media post clarified that the fee only applies to new applicant and “does not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to/from the United States”
The US Chamber of Commerce has issued a statemen on Donald Trump’s Executive Order raising the fee that companies pay to sponsor H-1B applicants to $1,00,000.
“We’re concerned about the impact on employees, their families, and employers. We’re working with the Administration and our members to understand the full implications and the best path forward,” it said.
Donald Trump’s surprise H-1B visa fee hike of $1,00,000 (around ₹90 lakh) by signing the ‘Restriction on entry of certain nonimmigrant workers’ proclamation, is expected to hit India the most.
Indian workers dominate the number of H-1B visa grantees.
India said all implications are being studied, adding that the move could have humanitarian consequences.
Donald Trump and Howard Lutnick on September 19 announced that the US will now require a new $1,00,000 fee for H-1B visas — meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill.
However there was no clarifiction around to whom it applies and, many companies including Microsoft, JPMorgan, and Amazon, advisadvised employees holding H-1B visas to remain in the US.
They also asked H-1B holders who were currently outside the country to re-enter the US by September 21.
US President Donald Trump’s latest immigration plan has sparked confusion. The White House has since clarified that the new $100,000 visa fee applies only to new applicants, not current H-1B holders.
The fee takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday (9.31 am IST Sunday) for a period of 1 year. It could be extended further, if the government determines that is in the interest of the country.
A new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas in the United States that goes into effect on Sunday will be levied per petition and will not be applied to existing holders of valid visas re-entering the country, the White House said on Saturday.
“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday.
Leavitt also said that current H-1B visa holders who are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter the United States.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Employers must pay this fee for each H-1B petition. It’s not yet clear if this will replace or be added to existing fees, which already include $215 for the H-1B lottery registration and $780 for the petition filing, along with other charges.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: The fee hike only applies to those entering the US. The order says it will prioritise high-skilled and high-paid aliens. However, there is no clarity on these terms.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump’s decision to increase the H1-B visa fee to $ 1,00,000 per annum poses significant cost challenges for Indian IT companies and will be disruptive in the near term, former Nasscom Chairman BVR Mohan Reddy told PTI. He also stated that the move could prompt Indian IT firms to accelerate local hiring in the US.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: On Saturday, S Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), stated that India’s push for Viksit Bharat by 2047 could benefit from the US’s move to impose a steep annual fee of USD 100,000 on H-1B visa applications. This, in turn, will lead to more startups and thriving cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon reaping the rewards, reported ANI.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: “The Government has seen reports related to the proposed restrictions on the US H1B visa program. The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program,” MEA said in a statement.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Major US tech firms, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, have advised employees with H-1B visas to return to the US by Saturday and avoid overseas travel following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a $100,000 application fee, as reported by Bloomberg.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: A White House official clarified that the $100,000 H1-B visa fee would only apply to new applicants.
“The H-1B fee is likely to face legal challenges. But if it survives, companies that hire skilled international workers would have to pay $ 100,000 each year for any employee working on the visa, for up to six years. The fee applies only to new applicants,” a White House official said, according to a report in the New York Times.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Trump on Friday signed the proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain nonimmigrant workers’ that restricts the entry into the US of those workers whose H1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000.
“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour,” Trump said in the proclamation.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Companies such as Microsoft and JP Morgan have already issued directives for their employees. Microsoft has asked H-1B and H-4 visa holders who are currently outside the United States to return to the country before the September 21 deadline, reported Reuters. JP Morgan, on the other hand, asked the H-1B visa holder to avoid international travel until further guidance is provided.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Under Project Firewall, employers must prioritise qualified Americans when hiring and will be held accountable if they abuse the H-1B visa process.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Donald Trump has stunned the tech world with a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas, effective 21 September 2025. The move hits Indian IT professionals the hardest, who make up over 70% of all H-1B visa holders.
Startups face massive cost burdens, employees have been told to rush back before the deadline, and the future of America’s global talent pipeline hangs in the balance.
Watch the video to know more details.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: As a result of Trump’s move, several foreigners, including Indians on H-1B visas, will now likely be either stranded or have to pay the newly revised fee of $100,000/year, effective Sunday, 21 September 2025, or will have to enter the United States before midnight ahead of the deadline.
Many big tech companies that hire foreign employees have instructed their employees to come back to the United States by tomorrow, 21 September 2025, before the deadline.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: As of 11:38 p.m. (IST), neither US President Donald Trump nor the White House have announced any extension to the official Sunday, 21 September 2025 deadline for the H-1B visa fee hike.
After the deadline, all US H-1B visa applications will attract a fee of $100,000 per year, as the US government aims to encourage the US-based companies to train the citizens of the nation rather than people of foreign nationalities.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: India’s technology industry body, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), said that the H-1B visa fee hike imposed by US President Donald Trump is set to affect Indian tech firms, with the September 21 deadline a concern.
“The timeline for implementation (anyone entering the U.S. after 12:01 a.m., September 21) is also a concern,” said the industry body in an official statement, emphasising the effect on businesses, professionals, and students across the world.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: The government has instructed all Indian missions and posts to provide maximum assistance to nationals flying back to the US within the next 24 hours, as per sources, reported HT
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick lauded Trump for the reforms, stating it would end practices where foreign workers “take jobs from hard-working Americans” and exploit the economy without making meaningful contributions.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Hours after Trump’s announcement, a US official clarified to Hindustan Times that the hike ‘only for new applications,’ and there is no need for existing H-1B visa holders to rush back. Earlier, Microsoft had issued a mail asking foreign employees to return to US by 21 Sept.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a scathing attack at the Central government following the whopping H-1B visa fee, stating that he has complaints not against Trump, but the Indian government
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: The H-1B visa fees are covered by the employer. Read here
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: Industry leaders and US lawmakers criticised the move as ‘reckless’ and noted that it will have a ‘huge negative’ on the IT industry. Read here.
H1B Visa Fee News LIVE Updates: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said full implications of the H-1B visa fee hike are being studied by all concerned, noting that the move could have humanitarian consequences.
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