The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has declared that new international graduates and professionals who have already settled in the country will be spared the new H-1B visa fee of 100, 000 dollars, much to the relief of thousands of Indian professionals and students in the United States. The charge, which was implemented last month by the Donald Trump administration, had generated fear among Indian workers, US employers and immigration lawyers.
USCIS stated that the high charge will not be imposed on those already residing in the US on a valid visa, such as an F-1 student visa, L-1 intra-company transferee, or those already having a H-1B visa and wish to renew or extend their visa. The agency affirmed that the rule was restricted to new petitions submitted subsequent to 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21, 2025, and did not apply to petitions previously submitted and/or granted visas which remained valid.
This decision provides uncertainties following weeks of confusion and anxiety, particularly to Indian workers who comprise the highest number of people under the H-1B visa program. The clarification also convinces the existing H-1B holders that they can freely travel in and out of the US without the fear of a travel ban or extra costs.
The USCIS also indicated that the foreign nationals who shift F-1 student visa to an H-1B job under the employer sponsorship will also not have to pay the new fee.
This is a big relief to the Indian technology society, which constitutes almost 70 per cent of all new H-1B visa assignments, in contrast to an approximate 11.12 per cent held by Chinese nationals. The H-1B visa gives Indian professionals approximately 300,000 Indian professionals to work in the US, mostly in technology and service industries.
With an H-1B visa, a highly skilled workforce can live and work in the US up to three years, which can be extended by a period of three years; hence, it is one of the major sources of global talent.
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