US Visa Fee Waivers Offer Indian Professionals Relief

US exempts H-1B $100,000 fee for current visa holders — 2025

USCIS clarifies $100,000 fee won’t apply to current H-1B, F-1 to H-1B change-of-status and petitions filed before Sept 21, 2025 — what Indians need to know.

US H 1B Visa Fee Exemptions Offer Relief

The US government on Oct. 21, 2025 clarified that the steep $100,000 fee announced last month will not apply to people already in the United States on valid visas — including current H-1B holders, F-1 students changing status to H-1B, and L-1 intra-company transferees — and will not be charged for petitions filed before 12:01 a.m. ET on Sept. 21, 2025. That clarification comes as major relief for Indian tech professionals and international students who feared the fee would effectively block new sponsorships and renewals.

The fee had triggered alarm because it far exceeded routine application costs and threatened to make sponsoring skilled workers unaffordable for many US employers and startups. Indians are particularly exposed: roughly 300,000 Indians currently hold H-1B visas and account for about 70% of new H-1B allocations, meaning the announced levy could have sharply reduced new hires and career mobility for graduates and tech workers.

USCIS spelled out that the proclamation “does not apply to any previously issued and currently valid H-1B visas, or any petitions submitted prior to 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21, 2025,” and confirmed holders can continue routine travel without restriction. Immigration attorneys had warned that without clarification, employers might withdraw offers and universities could see lower placement options for international graduates.

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