H-1B visa fees news highlights: Deadline ends, $100,000 fee now effective amid concerns

Follow the latest updates here.

H-1B visa fees news live: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified on X that H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the US as they normally would. She emphasized that the newly announced $100,000 fee applies only to new applicants in the next H-1B lottery, and does not affect current visa holders or renewals.

H-1B visa fees news live: The US Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern over the Trump administration’s recent H-1B Executive Order, warning that it could affect employees, their families, and employers.

“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,” the Chamber said in a statement on Saturday.

H-1B visa fees news live: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy has called the hike in H-1B visa fees by US President Donald Trump a shock and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EAM S Jaishankar to address the issue urgently.

Reddy described the impact on Telugu IT professionals as “unimaginable” and said the executive orders were “totally unacceptable in the historical context of Indo-American relationships.”

He called on the Union government to “immediately set up a mechanism to resolve the issue amicably, keeping the interests of our tech population and skilled workers, who have served America for so long.”

“The suffering for our Telugu techies will be unimaginable. Requesting Hon’ble Prime Minister and EAM Shri @DrSJaishankar to resolve this issue on a war footing,” he added.

H-1B visa fees news live: US President Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa proclamation has caused widespread concern among immigration experts. Kathleen Campbell Walker, an attorney with Dickinson Wright in El Paso, Texas, described the White House move as creating “total chaos in existing H-1B process with basically a day’s notice” in a LinkedIn post.

She noted that the rule, effective 12:01 AM Eastern Sunday, Sept. 21, will last for one year unless extended or renewed. For H-1B holders outside the US as of the effective date, entry will be paused unless a national interest exception is approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the employer pays the $100,000 fee.

Later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified in a post on X: “This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would… This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders.”

H-1B visa fees news live: The H-1B visa program, widely used to bring skilled foreign workers to the US, is heavily relied upon by the tech sector, along with finance companies and consulting firms.

According to US government data cited by Bloomberg, the companies with the highest number of H-1B visa holders are Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Microsoft, Meta Platforms Inc., and Apple Inc. Financial and retail giants JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Walmart Inc. rank 8th and 9th, respectively.

H-1B visa fees news live: Following President Trump’s Executive Order raising the fee for companies sponsoring H-1B visa applicants to $100,000, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh expressed strong criticism of the move.

"The way they treat Indians shows they don't want to see PM Modi or Indians at all. Trump and his administration are constantly looking down on Indians... When around 300 Indians were deported from the US, they were loaded onto a plane like grains are shipped in sacks... They were denied even basic human values," Singh told news agency ANI.

H-1B visa fees news live: India on Saturday warned that the Trump administration’s move to raise the annual H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000 could have “humanitarian consequences.” The government expressed hope that the resulting “disruptions” would be addressed “suitably” by US authorities.

H-1B visa fees news live: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified who is affected by President Trump’s new H-1B visa proclamation.

“President Trump’s new H-1B visa requirement applies only to NEW, prospective petitions that have not yet been filed. Petitions submitted prior to September 21, 2025, are not affected,” the USCIS said in a statement.

Key points from the USCIS guidelines:

• The rule applies only to petitions that have not yet been filed.
• It does not apply to beneficiaries of petitions filed before September 21, 2025.
• It does not apply to beneficiaries of currently approved petitions.
• It does not apply to those with validly issued H-1B visas.
• Current visa holders can continue to travel to and from the US without impact.

The department also urged the officers to ensure all decisions are consistent with this guidance.

H-1B visa fees news live: Following President Donald Trump’s Executive Order raising the fee for companies sponsoring H-1B applicants to $100,000, the US Chamber of Commerce expressed concern.

"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," the statement said.

H-1B visa fees news live: The $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas comes into force at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday (9:31 am IST). The measure is set to remain in place for one year but may be extended if the US government decides it serves national interest.

H-1B visa fees news live: India’s ministry of external affairs on Saturday responded to the Trump administration’s order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas.

Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said “industry in both India and the US has a stake in innovation and creativity and can be expected to consult on the best path forward.”

In its statement, the MEA noted, “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.”

The government further said that “skilled talent mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the United States and India.” It also underlined strong people-to-people ties as a factor that policymakers must consider.

On possible fallout, the MEA 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.”

Goldman Sachs told its employees on H-1B visas to exercise caution on international travel based on guidance from services firm Fragomen, Reuters reported, citing internal memo.

"We acknowledge that this is an uncertain time for our people on H-1B visas and your families," said the memo by Jacqueline Arthur, Goldman's global head of Human Capital Management.

The memo said employees on H-1B visas should stay connected with their aligned Fragomen representative until there's more clarity.

Fragomen is a global immigration services firm, which many companies including banks use for global mobility of staff.

US President Donald Trump's surprising decision to hike the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, causing a stir at US airports, with reports of numerous Indian techies stepping down from planes as soon as the decision was announced.

Furthermore, individuals stranded in India noticed a significant increase in the cost of a direct flights to the US as airlines sought to capitalize on the disruption triggered by Trump.

Within two hours following Trump's statement, the cost of a one-way ticket from New Delhi to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York increased from about ₹37,000 to ₹70,000–80,000.

Amid questions over the $100,000 H-1B visa fee being an annual payment, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a clarification and said "This is NOT an annual fee".

She said that the payment is a "one-time fee that applies only to the petition".

Leavitt further said in an X post, "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," she added.

"This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders," Leavitt said.

Major tech companies, including Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., and Amazon.com Inc. warned employees with H-1B visas to return to the US on Saturday and urged them to refrain from overseas travel after President Donald Trump hiked the visa application fees to a $100,000.

The warnings are a sign of the chaos created by Trump's snap announcement on Friday about the new rules, which will take effect on Sunday.

A White House official, meanwhile, said that the fee only affects new visas, not renewals or current visa holders and will be applied in the upcoming lottery cycle.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the suffering of Telugu IT professions would be "unimaginable" over Trump's move to hike H-1B visa fee to $100,000.

Reddy urged PM Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar to address the issue on a "war footing".

"The executive orders of President of America had come as a shocker to all. This is totally unacceptable in the historical context of Indo-American relationships," Reddy said in a post on X late on Saturday.

It is for the Union government to immediately set up a mechanism to resolve the issue amicably, keeping the interests of "our tech population" and skilled workers, who have served America for so long, he added.

"The suffering for our Telugu techies will be unimaginable. Requesting Hon’ble Prime Minister and EAM Shri @DrSJaishankar to resolve this issue on a war footing," Reddy said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday slammed the Trump administration's move to hike H-1B visa fee applications to $100,000 and targeted the Centre, saying "unilateral actions are being taken and we are unable to do anything".

"US is taking such steps again and again. Why is it doing this? It was said that the PM and the US President share a great friendship. But the highest tariff is being imposed on us. People are facing employment issues. With the announcement concerning H-1B visa, they want to target educated people who want to go out and work. If we are being suppressed in all manners, Govt of India should take strong steps...There is no need to fear anyone," he said.

"US might be a big country but such unilateral or negative actions are being taken and we are unable to do anything. This is a weakness of our diplomacy in some way," he added.

Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), S Mahendra Dev, said on Saturday that with India's push for Viksit Bharat by 2047 could gain from the Trump administration's move to impose a $100,000 fee hike on H-1B visa applications.

He said that the country will have more startups and cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurgaon will benefit.

"In India, a lot of things are happening. So we will have more startups, more companies in cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Gurgaon, all will benefit because of these startups and other things... I think it's a gain for us. And India is planning to have Viksit Bharat. So it will add to the Viksit Bharat, I think, if they stay back. Also, some other countries can diversify to go to the other countries," S Mahendra Dev told ANI.

Biju Janata Dal Vice President Prasanna Acharya on Saturday criticised the US government's move to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications and termed it as "Trump's bullying".

"It will definitely affect (the bilateral relations between India and the US). President Trump has implemented all restrictions on India. Despite this, Trump, in his daily speeches, kept saying that they have the best relationship with India and PM Modi... Is this pointing towards the best relationship? They are increasing tariffs, trying to finish the Indian market in the US, and putting restrictions on visas. So, is this a signal of friendship or enmity?" he told news agency ANI.

"America has a daily agenda to harass India or Indians from every angle. We will decide where to get oil and where not to; we are a democratic, independent country. We will not submit to anyone. This is Trump's bullying, and it cannot be tolerated," Acharya added.

Saturday lashed out at the Centre over the hike in US H-1B visa fee, saying it is a "failure" of the union government that if Washington did not see India as an ally despite New Delhi being considered a strategic partner.

Owaisi took to X and said US President Donald Trump has effectively ended the H-1B visa system with his decision to increase the fee for such visas.

"My complaint is not against Trump, he did what he wanted. My quarrel is with this government: what did you achieve with Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump (events)?" he asked.

He said the "ending" of H1B visas was aimed directly at Indians. "That the US is putting its relationship with India at risk is proof that it does not care about our strategic value. We are a strategic partner of the US, and if they don’t see us as allies, then it is a failure of this government," Owaisi added.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead an official delegation to the US for trade talks on September 22, an official statement said on Saturday.

The delegation will take forward the discussions on the trade deal with an aim of reaching an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

The minister, who will visit New York, will be accompanied by the special secretary in the ministry, Rajesh Agrawal and other officials.

Following the US government's decision to impose a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan targeted the Centre, accusing it of "failing" to protect Indians living abroad.

He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked the reasons behind the United States' anti-India policies.

Speaking to ANI, Muraleedharan said, "The Trump administration is already against the Indian government. They import Indian items and have levied about 50% in taxes, along with other actions. They are planning to act against India, which reflects the attitude of the Trump government. Therefore, Narendra Modi should respond and explain why Trump is against India. Is he prepared to confront Trump? We want to understand this because he always supports American policies, but America does not support India..."

PTI reported that Indian government is actively engaging with the IT industry and the US administration to find a way forward on H-1B issue, and pointed out that the application fee increase hits American companies even harder as they are significant users of these visas for highly skilled professionals.

The opposition parties on Saturday alleged that the Modi government's foreign policy has "failed" after the US imposed a USD 100,000 annual fee for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers which, they said, is "meant to target Indians", and asked the Centre to take steps to resolve the "crisis".