Overview

• USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the fee applies prospectively to petitions filed after Sept. 21 and does not affect renewals or people with currently approved H‑1B visas.
• Initial statements suggesting an annual charge set off panic, with some Indian H‑1B workers canceling trips and employers urging staff to return before the policy took effect.
• Indian leaders denounced the move and pressed New Delhi to respond, as Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called it “totally unacceptable” and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said it was not smart for the US economy.
• Tech veterans and analysts told Reuters the policy will curb onshore rotations, push more work to offshore and near-shore centers, increase selective sponsorship for only critical roles, and accelerate growth of global capability centers.
• Immigration lawyers expect immediate lawsuits, while a White House fact sheet defended the fee by alleging widespread program abuse and citing company figures on H‑1B approvals alongside US layoffs.