USCIS clarifies who must pay $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
Source: CBS News
October 21, 2025 / 5:53 PM EDT
Guidance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarifies that a $100,000 fee imposed in September to obtain H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers applies only to new applicants who are living abroad.
In a notice posted on the agency's website late Monday, USCIS explains what types of visa applicants must pay the new six-figure fee and who is exempt. Applications for H-1B visas filed on or after Sept. 21 for workers outside the U.S. and who are not current H-1B visa holders are subject to the $100,000 charge, USCIS said.
The fee also applies if a petition filed on or after Sept. 21 "requests consular notification, port of entry notification or pre-flight inspection for an alien in the United States." The $100,000 payment must be paid prior to applying for an H-1B visa, according to USCIS. Importantly for employers, the fee does not apply when a visa applicant files to move from one type of visa to another, such as from an F-1 visa for non-U.S. students to H-1B status.
The White House had previously said the fee would apply to all new H-1B visa applicants, with exemptions for some specialized workers who do not "pose a threat to the security or welfare" of the U.S.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/100000-h-1b-visa-fee-who-pays/