A new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas in the United States that goes into effect on Sunday will be levied per petition and will not be applied to existing visa holders re-entering the country, the White House said on Saturday.

"This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday.

Leavitt said that current H-1B visa holders who are currently outside of the country will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter the United States.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday said the fee, would be paid annually but added that details were "still being considered." The White House clarification on Saturday represented a walkback from Lutnick's statement.

Some companies including Microsoft, JPMorga

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