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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified the new $100,000 annual fee for the H-1B visas. The fee was introduced by President Donald Trump in September to protect American workers and curb alleged abuse of the visa program. The USCIS's clarification comes after confusion among employers and visa holders. So, who are exempted from the fee? Let's find out. The USCIS clarified that the $100,000 fee is only for new petitions for foreign workers outside the US. Existing H-1B visa holders and those changing status within the US are exempt from this fee. This means current visa holders can renew or extend their stay without paying this additional charge. The USCIS has made it clear that the cost of this new fee will be borne by employers sponsoring foreign workers. A dedicated online portal has been set up for processing and paying this fee. The move is intended to protect American workers and address what the administration views as abuse of the visa program, which could impact the hiring of skilled international workers, including those from India. The USCIS has also detailed who is exempt from the new fee. This includes the existing H-1B visa holders seeking renewal or extension, the F-1 student visa holders applying for H-1B status within the US, and L-1 visa holders changing status to H-1B from within the US. Foreign nationals with expired visas reapplying with an approved petition are also exempted. The H-1B program is crucial for India's technology sector, with roughly 300,000 Indian professionals currently holding these visas. Indians account for about 70% of all new H-1B allocations every year. The previous visa fees ranged from $215-5,000 depending on company size and role type.
