'Not an annual fee': White House walks back $100K H-1B fee panic, says it’s one-time only for new applicants
Leavitt insisted that reentry rights “are not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” and that the fee would apply “only in the next upcoming lottery cycle.”
- Sep 21, 2025,
- Updated Sep 21, 2025 7:18 AM IST
The White House on Saturday clarified that President Trump’s controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee will be a one-time charge on new applications only, not an annual levy, as originally announced.
Just 24 hours after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared the hefty fee would recur annually and apply to both new applicants and renewals, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reversed course in a social media post, attempting to calm mounting panic across the tech industry.
“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies… only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders,” Leavitt wrote, emphasizing that current H-1B holders overseas would not be blocked from reentry.
The executive order, which takes effect Sunday at 12:01 am ET, has already sparked confusion and travel chaos. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, some H-1B holders de-boarded planes Friday amid fears they could be denied reentry to the U.S.
Leavitt insisted that reentry rights “are not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” and that the fee would apply “only in the next upcoming lottery cycle.”
Trump’s executive order alleges the H-1B program has “been deliberately exploited to replace… American workers” with cheaper foreign labor. At the Oval Office signing, Trump said, “The main thing is, we're going to have great people coming in, and they're going to be paying.”
Alongside the fee, Trump also launched a $1 million "gold card" permanent residency initiative.
Despite Lutnick’s claim that “all the big companies are on board,” confusion reigned. JPMorgan issued an internal memo urging H-1B employees to avoid international travel. Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have previously warned that restricting H-1Bs could cripple American innovation.
India, whose nationals make up nearly 75% of H-1B recipients, warned of “humanitarian consequences” and called for the U.S. to consider the impact on families and global innovation.
The White House on Saturday clarified that President Trump’s controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee will be a one-time charge on new applications only, not an annual levy, as originally announced.
Just 24 hours after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick declared the hefty fee would recur annually and apply to both new applicants and renewals, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reversed course in a social media post, attempting to calm mounting panic across the tech industry.
“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies… only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders,” Leavitt wrote, emphasizing that current H-1B holders overseas would not be blocked from reentry.
The executive order, which takes effect Sunday at 12:01 am ET, has already sparked confusion and travel chaos. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, some H-1B holders de-boarded planes Friday amid fears they could be denied reentry to the U.S.
Leavitt insisted that reentry rights “are not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation,” and that the fee would apply “only in the next upcoming lottery cycle.”
Trump’s executive order alleges the H-1B program has “been deliberately exploited to replace… American workers” with cheaper foreign labor. At the Oval Office signing, Trump said, “The main thing is, we're going to have great people coming in, and they're going to be paying.”
Alongside the fee, Trump also launched a $1 million "gold card" permanent residency initiative.
Despite Lutnick’s claim that “all the big companies are on board,” confusion reigned. JPMorgan issued an internal memo urging H-1B employees to avoid international travel. Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, have previously warned that restricting H-1Bs could cripple American innovation.
India, whose nationals make up nearly 75% of H-1B recipients, warned of “humanitarian consequences” and called for the U.S. to consider the impact on families and global innovation.