H-1B Visa Fee 2025: There has been news of relief regarding the huge fee of about Rs 90 lakh imposed by the Trump administration on H-1B visa. According to the new guidelines of USCIS, old visa holders and F-1 students will no longer have to pay this fee. Know the details.
H-1B Visa Fee Relief: There is great relief news for thousands of Indian professionals and students working and completing their studies in America. The Trump administration has made it clear that international graduates who are already present in the US and have been sponsored for H-1B visas will not have to pay the recently implemented hefty fee of $100,000 (about Rs 90 lakh). Earlier, after the implementation of this rule, there was a lot of confusion between Indian professionals and American companies. According to a report of Hindustan Times, now the picture has become clear after the new guidelines of USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services).
What did USCIS say?
USCIS said in its statement that this new fee will not apply to those who are already present in the US on a valid visa, such as-
- F-1 Student Visa.
- L-1 Inter-Company Transfer Visa.
- Or existing H-1B visa holders who are simply seeking renewal or extension.
- The agency also clarified that this rule will not apply to any H-1B visa petition issued or submitted before September 21, 2025.
- Also, existing H-1B visa holders will be able to travel out of and return to the US as before. Let us tell you that recently the H-1B visa rules had worried many Indian professionals.
Students also got big relief on H-1B visa
USCIS also clarified that students who are studying on F-1 visa and are now transitioning to H-1B jobs will not have to pay this heavy fee.
Read this also- Preparation to tighten H-1B visa rules, will American companies shift to India now?
Why were Indians worried about H-1B visa?
Indians have the largest share in America’s H-1B visa program. Currently about 3 lakh Indian professionals are working in America on H-1B visa. Every year 70% of new H-1B visas are given to Indians only. This visa allows American companies to bring technical and high-skilled workers from abroad. Visa applications typically cost $215 to $5,000, but the new $100,000 fee increased that by 20 to 100 times that. Experts said that this new fee would have been a step like ending the H-1B visa program, because such a high fee would have made it almost impossible for startups and mid-sized companies to hire foreign talent.
Thousands of Indian families have settled in America through H-1B visa.
H-1B visa has been the first step towards the American dream for Indian families. Thousands of Indian families have settled in America through this visa. According to a research named The Other One Percent, the Indian-American community is the most educated and high-income community in America today. Nearly a quarter of the Indian-American population of about 3 million is directly or indirectly linked to the H-1B program. Indian companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro have been sending their engineers to American projects through H-1B visa for a long time. At the same time, American companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon are also heavily dependent on Indian talent.
Read this also- Has American education lost its luster? Shocking decline of 44% in the number of Indian students