$100,000 H-1B visa fee: Who pays, who doesn’t? Trump admin attempts to settle confusion over policy

A month after US President Trump announced a jaw-dropping $100,000 price tag for certain visa applicants, the administration has finally spilled the details on how to pay up—and who might get a free pass. USCIS on Monday rolled out a payment portal and clarified that only applicants with a receipt showing the fee has been submitted can move forward, while some, like student visa holders, might dodge the surcharge entirely. The new USCIS guidelines said existing visa holders, which include international students on F-1 visas and professionals on L-1 visas, will not have to pay $100,000 when they apply for a change of status to H-1B. “It says the fee only applies to cases filed for people outside the United States, so they can come in,” said Dan Berger of Green & Spiegel in a