In a statement issued on October 20 (US time), the immigration body said that under the proclamation, new H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025 must be accompanied by an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility.
This, therefore, is applicable to those outside of the United States. As a result of this, current H-1B holders and other constituents, including foreign nationals on student visas and those already present in the United States, are not needed to pay the hefty fee, which, in Indian currency, translates to about ₹90 lakh.
President Trump’s new H-1B visa requirement applies only to NEW, prospective petitions that have not yet been filed. ⁰⁰Petitions submitted prior to September 21, 2025 are not affected.https://t.co/YZmqtpE8N3 pic.twitter.com/ZwCnqeoLVI
— USCIS (@USCIS) September 20, 2025
The update from USCIS further added, “In accordance with section 1(c) of the Proclamation, for H-1B petitions subject to the Proclamation, petitioners must submit a copy of the proof of the payment from pay.gov or evidence of an exception from the fee from the Secretary of Homeland Security at the time of filing the H-1B petition. Petitions subject to the $1,00,000 payment that are filed without evidence of payment or the grant of an exception will be denied.”
While the Trump administration’s reforms to the visa programme, in its current form, will continue to act as a major impediment to new applicants, the clarification comes after the Trump administration was sued by no less than the US Chamber of Commerce over its actions to tweak the H-1B visas, making them more restrictive, thereby encouraging hiring locals, US citizens.
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