Trump’s $100k H-1B visa fee clarified: Who really needs to pay, and who doesn’t?

In a move that shook the global technology and immigration ecosystem, United States President Donald Trump announced a dramatic increase in the cost of the H-1B visa, sparking immediate confusion and concern among workers, companies, and policymakers. The new presidential proclamation, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” raised the visa petition fee to a staggering $100,000. The H-1B visa, a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations such as technology, engineering, and medicine, has long been the backbone of skilled talent mobility between India and the United States. With Indian IT professionals making up the largest share of H-1B recipients, the announcement triggered fears of mass disruption to careers,