Foreign citizens already in the U.S., including students, will be exempted from the Trump administration’s controversial new $100,000 fee for the H-1B visa, federal authorities said this week.

The fee was imposed via a proclamation from President Donald Trump and took effect Sept. 21, with certain details initially unclear.

This week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued an advisory saying the fee — paid by employers — would apply only to new H-1B visas issued to workers who are outside the country. The levy will not be imposed for workers switching to an H-1B visa from other visas, including the F-1 student visa, the agency said.

Imposition of the hefty new fee for the visa — intended for workers with specialized skills — has generated criticism and lawsuits. Last week, the

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