Trump Govt Clarifies: $100K H-1B Fee One-Time, Not Annual

With just one announcement that created a storm in the IT sector, U.S. President Donald Trump’s government has now given some clarity regarding H-1B visas. The most crucial clarification is that the $100,000 fee is not annual—it is a one-time payment required only at the time of applying for the visa. It has been made clear that those who already have H-1B visas and are outside the United States do not have to pay $100,000 when re-entering the country. Existing H-1B visa holders can continue to leave and return to the U.S. just like before, without facing any problems. The recent announcement made by President Trump will not cause them any issues. The $100,000 fee will apply only to new applications, not to renewals or current visa holders. This will take effect starting from the upcoming lottery cycle, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified.

Following Trump’s recent statement, reports surfaced that tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon sent internal mails to their employees holding H-1B visas, instructing them to re-enter the U.S. before September 21. At the same time, there were widespread expectations that the $100,000 fee for H-1B visas would create severe difficulties not only for American companies but also for domestic IT firms—especially startups. Now, with the White House giving clarity on this matter, some of the confusion seems to have been resolved. However, there is still doubt as to how interested companies will be in paying even a one-time $100,000 fee at the time of application for new hires. Compared to the earlier reports that suggested an annual fee of $100,000, this decision does bring at least some relief.

This is the summary of the statement released by the White House Press Secretary.

To be clear:

1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.

2.) 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.

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.

3.) This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders.

It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle.