White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Saturday posted on X to clarify who will pay the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas following confusion over when the new fee will apply.
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday afternoon for further information.
Why It Matters
The new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas marks a significant change to the U.S. immigration system for highly skilled workers in what the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has called “Project Firewall – our plan to ensure high-skilled jobs to go to Americans first.”
The visa program is integral to the tech and engineering sectors, which rely on specialized workers to fill positions where qualified U.S. workers are scarce.
This particular visa has stirred considerable debate in the country over the level of skill and training Americans receive in order to fill these roles, with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy previously saying that companies needed these visas since American culture “venerated mediocrity over excellence.”
What To Know
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement new H-1B visa petitions, as detailed in an official White House fact sheet.
This fee applies only to new H-1B visa applications submitted after the order goes into effect. It does not apply to current visa holders, individuals renewing their H-1B status, or those reentering the United States using a valid visa.
However, many did not seem aware of the applicability of the new requirement, prompting Leavitt to post on X in order to clarify any confusion. She wrote that “this is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.”
“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,” the press secretary wrote. “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.”
“This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle,” she added.
Employers must provide proof of fee payment for new applicants, and the Departments of State and Homeland Security are authorized to deny visa entry to those failing to comply, according to the New York Post.
However, the White House allowed for some exceptions, writing in the initial fact sheet that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may waive the fee if granting a visa supports the “national interest.” The proclamation directs joint guidance from the DOL and DHS for enforcement and requires documentation and audits for compliance.
Meanwhile, Trump announced on Friday a new “Gold Card” visa program that would allow wealthy foreigners to secure U.S. residency in exchange for a $1 million investment.
Under the Gold Card program—first floated by Trump in February and detailed in Friday’s executive order—foreign nationals who contribute at least $1 million to the Commerce Department will be eligible for an expedited path to an immigrant visa. Corporations can secure the same privilege for employees with a $2 million payment.
The Gold Card will replace the existing EB-1 and EB-2 visa categories, which currently provide green cards for individuals with “exceptional ability” in business and other fields.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump when asked Friday by reporters how he believes tech companies will react to the new H-1B fee: “I think they’re going to be very happy. And we’re going to be able to keep people in our country that are going to be very productive people, and in many cases, these companies are going to pay a lot of money for that, and they’re very happy about it.”
Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, wrote on X on Friday: “America is a nation, not a jobs program for foreign workers. Our H-1B visa program has been abused for far too long.”
Representative Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, wrote on X on Friday: “Many of the engineers and researchers who help build our AI systems, design our semiconductors, and drive innovation came here on H-1B visas. Trump is pricing America out of the global talent market while our competitors welcome them with open arms.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in discussing the launch of a “Gold Card” visa wrote on X on Friday: “For the past four years, open-border Democrats endlessly flooded the country with illegal aliens at the expense of hardworking Americans. The Trump administration is completely reversing course on that disastrous agenda. These programs guarantee that recipients who come to work in America must provide significant benefit to our great country. We are ending workers taking jobs away from hard working Americans and taking advantage of our economy and providing nothing in return.”
He added: “The Trump Card begins to restore our immigration system to its intended purpose: significantly benefitting America.”
What Happens Next?
The $100,000 fee will apply from the start of the next H-1B lottery cycle. This means that prospective applicants and their employers must prepare to meet much higher costs if seeking new visas.