By Snehil Singh

Copyright newsbytesapp

The White House has clarified that the recently announced $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee for H-1B visa applications will only apply to new applicants. The clarification comes after President Donald Trump’s major overhaul of the H-1B program, which had left many foreign workers, especially Indians, anxious. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted that current H-1B holders outside the United States won’t have to pay this fee to re-enter. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also confirmed that the $100,000 fee applies only to new petitions filed on or after 12:01am Sunday. USCIS Director Joseph B Edlow said in a memorandum that this proclamation only applies prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed. He added that it does not apply to those who already have valid H-1B non-immigrant visas or approved petitions. The H-1B visa program, which requires a bachelor’s degree at minimum, was introduced to fill high-skilled jobs in the US. However, critics say it has become a source of cheap foreign labor. This year alone, Amazon received over 10,000 visas through the lottery system. The Indian IT industry body Nasscom has expressed concern that this new fee could impact the global operations of tech services firms sending skilled workers to America. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs is studying the implications of these changes on families and businesses. It warned that the new measures could have humanitarian consequences by disrupting families. Meanwhile, many Indians on H-1B visas have canceled travel plans to India due to Trump’s order. Some even canceled flights at the last minute, while others rushed back from India amid confusion over re-entry requirements.