The US will charge a new $100,000 fee for each H-1B visa application starting Sunday, September 21, 2025. The White House said this fee applies only to new applicants and will not affect people who already have valid visas and are re-entering the country.
“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday.
Leavitt also said that people who already have an H-1B visa and are outside the US will not have to pay the $100,000 fee to return.
“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. This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders,” she added.
To be clear:
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 20, 2025
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…
Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also clarified that the USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications will only apply to the new applicants and not to the petitions submitted prior to September 21.
“This proclamation only applies prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed. The proclamation does not apply to aliens who: are the beneficiaries of petitions that were filed prior to the effective date of the proclamation, are the beneficiaries of currently approved petitions, or are in possession of validly issued H-1B non-immigrant visas,” Joseph B Edlow, Director of USCIS, clarified in a memorandum on Saturday.
President Trump’s new H-1B visa requirement applies only to NEW, prospective petitions that have not yet been filed. ⁰⁰Petitions submitted prior to September 21, 2025 are not affected.https://t.co/YZmqtpE8N3 pic.twitter.com/ZwCnqeoLVI
— USCIS (@USCIS) September 20, 2025
The US Department of Labor on Friday launched Project Firewall, an H-1B enforcement initiative aimed at protecting the rights, wages, and job opportunities of highly skilled workers. The project aims to ensure employers give priority to qualified applicants when hiring and hold them accountable if they misuse the H-1B visa process. The announcement came soon after President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring a $100,000 fee for all H-1B visa applications.
“The Trump Administration is standing by our commitment to end practices that leave Americans in the dust. As we reestablish economic dominance, we must protect our most valuable resource: the American worker. Launching Project Firewall will help us ensure no employers are abusing H-1B visas at the expense of our workforce,” US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said, adding, “By rooting out fraud and abuse, the Department of Labor and our federal partners will ensure that highly skilled jobs go to Americans first.”
