US clarifies on new H-1B visa fees: $100,000 hike won’t apply to extensions

Digital Desk

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has clarified that the recently announced $100,000 (around ₹88 lakh) H-1B visa fee hike will not apply to “extension of stay” or “change of status” requests for non-immigrant workers already in the country.

The clarification follows a presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers. Under the order, new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, must include an additional $100,000 payment as a condition for eligibility.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier confirmed that this would be a one-time fee, required only at the time of the initial application. For renewals, the visa cost will remain between ₹5.5 lakh and ₹6.7 lakh, and can be extended for another three years by paying the existing renewal fee.

What is the H-1B visa?

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa issued to individuals with specialized technical or professional skills, often in fields such as IT, architecture, and healthcare. Due to high demand, these visas are granted through a lottery system each year.

Annual quota and beneficiaries

The US government issues 85,000 H-1B visas annually, primarily for technical roles. This year, Amazon received over 10,000 visas, while Microsoft and Meta secured more than 5,000 each.

India remains the largest beneficiary of the H-1B program, although it continues to draw criticism from some American workers who argue that companies use it to cut labor costs and replace US employees.