Those who hold the permit and are ‘currently outside of the country will not be charged’ to re-enter, stated the Donald Trump administration.
The United States on Sunday clarified that the $100,000 fee for an H-1B worker visa will only be imposed on new applicants and does not affect those who already hold the permit.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also stated that the fee was one-time and not annual.
H-1B visas allow companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers for special occupations.
The clarification came as the new rules took effect. Prior to this, companies were paying $215 to register for the H-1B visa lottery, in addition to several filing fees.
A day earlier, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that companies would have to pay $100,000 annually for each H-1B visa.
Leavitt stated that the increased fee will “first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle”.
“Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will not be charged $100,000 to re-enter,” she said.
