White House Clarifies That Existing H1B Visa Holders Will Not Be Charged the New Fee | Read Ban Order Here

Udaipur, Sept 22, 2025: The White House, clarifying the confusion around the recent H1B Visa Fee announcement, has issued a statement saying that the  USD 100,000 fee will not apply to existing H1B Visa holders and that they will not be charged this fee on re-entering the United States. Read the Ban Order Here

"This is not an annual fee. It is a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. Current H1B Visa holders who are outside the country will not be charged USD 100,000 to re-enter the country" - Karoline Leavitt, White House Spokesperson

Earlier, companies in a knee jerk reaction to fee and restriction announcement of a USD 100,000 fee on H1B Visa holders by the Donal Trump administration, had asked their employees not to leave the country till the matter is settled. The H1B Visa fee regulation comes into effect on Sunday, Sept 21, 2025.

Airport Chaos and Airfare Hikes

Looking at the confusion created by the announcement from the White House and the extremely tight implementation deadline, there was chaos at airports in the US, as many Indian and other H1B holders leaving the country on vacation or business at the time of the announcement chose to disembark their flights or refuse to board. Flights  were delayed  for hours as the confusion continued. Even airfares saw changes after the announcement, almost doubling as airlines looked at cashing in on the confusion. However, at the time of writing this report, the airfares look normal. A direct flight Air India flight from Delhi to New York  for Sept 21 is costing around Rs. 40-42k.