Indian students on F-1 visas safe from new H-1B $100,000 fee
The US clarified that the newly announced $100,000 H-1B visa fee will not affect current H-1B holders or those changing visa status within the country. Indian students and professionals now face no extra financial burden when transitioning from F-1 to H-1B
Hyderabad: In a major relief to Indian professionals and current students pursuing their higher education in the United States, the Donald J Trump administration released clarifications to the controversial fee for H-1B visa.
Released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the new September 19, 2025 proclamation mandating an exorbitant $100,000 fee for H-1B will not apply to applicants who are already in the United States. “The Proclamation does not apply to any previously issued and currently valid H-1B visas, or any petitions submitted prior to 12:01 am eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025,” the USCIS said.
This clarification meant that the new rule will not be applicable to individuals who already hold valid H-1B visas. It will also not be applicable for any applications filed prior to 12:01 am eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025, seeking H-1B visas.
One of the major reliefs from the proclamation is not requiring a cough up of $100,000 fee for H-1B in cases of ‘changing visa status’ such as foreign nationals transiting from one visa category to another without the need to leave the US.
“The Proclamation also does not apply to a petition filed at or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025, that is requesting an amendment, change of status, or extension of stay for an alien inside the United States where the alien is granted such amendment, change, or extension,” the USCIS said.
The clarification will benefit thousands of Indian students who are on the F-1 visa (student visa) in the US and seeking to change the visa status to H-1B or other work visa. Further, this clarification will help prospective students, who earlier had apprehensions regarding pursuing their higher education in the US due to new H-1B rules, better plan their overseas education.
While the H-1B visa fee has to be paid by the employer but not the individual beneficiary, there has been fear among the Indian student community that companies will not be spending a lot of money in hiring fresh graduates from the US universities.
Now with clarification from the US administration, the US companies, universities and other organisations that are eligible to hire foreign workers will not have to pay the new H-1B fee if international students are changing their visa category from F-1 to work visa.
The exorbitant fee of $100,000 will be applicable to H-1B petitions that are filed after September 21, 2025, for individuals who are outside the US and do not hold H-1B visa.