Official: $100K H-1B fee only once, but not yearly

The Donald Trump administration in the United States has communicated that a hiked $100K fee will be imposed on new H-1B regulations. However, it is reported that the fee would be imposed annually all year round. But the official clarity here is that the fee is applicable only once and not annually.

According to the pointers shared by the United States White House representative, here’s a look at the regulations in effect.

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.

This Proclamation only applies prospectively to petitions that have not yet been filed. It does not impact aliens who are the beneficiaries of currently approved petitions, any petitions filed prior to 12:01 AM ET on September 21, 2025, or aliens in possession of validly issued H-1B non-immigrant visas.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State have been instructed to begin implementing the new monetary requirements for employers submitting petitions on behalf of aliens outside the United States for new H-IB petitions only.

The Proclamation does not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to or from the United States. CBP will continue to process current H-1B visa holders in accordance with all existing policies and procedures, the communication from the White House representative read.