A change of status happens when someone in the US, for example on an F-1 student visa or Optional Practical Training (OPT), applies to switch to H-1B without leaving the country.

xHyderabad: US President Donald Trump administration’s decision to collect a supplemental fee of $100,000 for new H-1B visa applications — filed after September 21, 2025 — has left many foreign workers and students uncertain about their future.

While the order clearly states that it is applicable to new visa applications and consular processing abroad, it does not explain what happens when a person already in the United States requests a “change of status” to H-1B.

A change of status happens when someone in the US, for example on an F-1 student visa or Optional Practical Training (OPT), applies to switch to H-

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