Washington: A jolt hit thousands of Indian students and tech professionals last month. A new rule from Washington put a price tag of $100,000 on the American dream. Employers froze applications, students delayed plans and recruiters called lawyers in panic.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has now cleared the air. The agency confirmed that the new fee under Donald Trump’s September proclamation applies only to fresh H-1B petitions filed for people outside the country.

The agency’s late-night statement read, “The Proclamation applies to new H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025, on behalf of beneficiaries who are outside the United States and do not have a valid H-1B visa.”

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