When the White House rolled out a proclamation on September 19, attaching a USD 100,000 (roughly Rs 88 lakh) fee to certain H-1B petitions , it set off immediate panic: inboxes flooded, hiring plans were revised and students reconsidered travel.

The guidance that followed on October 20 clarified the most urgent question for many: the H-1B $100,000 fee applies primarily to new H-1B petitions filed for beneficiaries outside the United States.

Many petitions filed as an in-country F-1 to H-1B change of status, and extensions or many transfers, are generally exempt if USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) finds them eligible.

Students on F-1 student visas often rely on Optional Practical Training (OPT) to later transition to H-1B skilled work visas. So this is a real, practical

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