Effective September 21, the government applied this one-time fee only to new applications, not renewals. The Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications has caused widespread confusion among immigrant workers and employers, raising questions about travel safety for current holders. Announced in a proclamation by President Trump, the fee represents a major shift in a 35-year-old program that has enabled millions to work legally in the U.S. Tech and financial firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and JPMorgan are among the largest users. Although the White House clarified that the policy affects only new applicants, companies advised workers abroad to return quickly, fearing re-entry issues, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers saying the action stops companies from “spamming the system” and “driving down American wages.”
Effective September 21, the government applied this one-time fee only to new applications, not renewals. The Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications has caused widespread confusion among immigrant workers and employers, raising questions about travel safety for current holders. Announced in a proclamation by President Trump, the fee represents a major shift in a 35-year-old program that has enabled millions to work legally in the U.S. Tech and financial firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and JPMorgan are among the largest users. Although the White House clarified that the policy affects only new applicants, companies advised workers abroad to return quickly, fearing re-entry issues, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers saying the action stops companies from “spamming the system” and “driving down American wages.”