Foreign students studying in the U.S. may have finally got some good news this Diwali. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After announcing a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications as part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at prioritising American workers, U.S. authorities clarified that this fee applies only to new petitions filed from outside the U.S.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We explain how this will come as a relief to students currently studying in the U.S. and those who are eligible for H1-B visas after completing their course from U.S. universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How does the H1-B clarification by USCIS help students in the U.S.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The H\u20111B visa programme, that’s widely used by U.S. employers to sponsor foreign workers in skilled jobs, has been at the centre of a major policy shift under the Donald Trump administration, and international graduates in the U.S. are getting a narrowly carved exception.
Specifically, the fee requirement was introduced through a presidential proclamation signed on September 19, 2025, that takes effect for new petitions filed from September 21, 2025. Employers sponsoring foreign nationals already present in the U.S. such as international students who graduated from U.S. universities, will not need to pay the six-figure surcharge. Since about 70 percent of all H1-B visas have been going to Indians, this will be something that should bring some cheer to them if they meet the conditions mentioned here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n