US says new fee for H-1B visas will not affect existing holders

ISTANBUL

Seeking to stem widespread confusion over a hefty new fee for skilled workers’ visas, the White House said a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas in the US will not affect existing visa holders reentering the country.

"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," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt wrote Saturday on US social media company X.

"This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition,” she said, posting after Friday’s surprise announcement spurred many businesses to quickly recall its workers currently outside the US.

US President Donald Trump’s “H-1B announcement on Friday immediately spurred chaos, with companies and immigration lawyers warning travelers to return to the U.S. before midnight on Sunday, when the new policy is scheduled to kick in,” Politico reported.

But H-1B visa holders can continue to leave and reenter the US as usual, as Friday’s proclamation does not affect their current travel rights, Leavitt said, clarifying that the new fee applies only to new visas, not to renewals or existing visa holders.

It will first be implemented "in the next upcoming lottery cycle," she added.

On Friday, Trump signed a proclamation demanding companies pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas.

The overhaul is intended to curb what the administration describes as widespread abuse of the visa system – particularly companies using it to replace US tech workers with lower-cost foreign labor.

But the proclamation’s wording made no clear distinction between existing visa holders and new ones, causing many businesses to panic.