H-1B visa program updates, including new rules that exempt employers from the $ 100,000 petition fee when hiring F-1 students or those extending H-1B status.

In an politically-charged environment fueled by the US federal government shutdown, exemptions are being offered to linked to H-1B visa by waving the newly-imposed $1,00,000 H-1B fees.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services released guidance that the recently increased $100,000 H-1B visa fee may not apply to H-1B visa holders who are “requesting an amendment, change of status, or extension of stay,” regardless of when the requests were submitted.

New U.S. visa rules clarify that genuine students are exempt from fees, aiming to combat fraud and enhance educational standards.

The Trump administration unveiled two significant changes affecting the H-1B visa programme. First, a sharp fee increase that required employers to fork out $100,000 for new H-1B visa petitions, and secondly, a plan to overhaul the H-1B lottery to tilt the odds in favour of higher-paid jobs.

H-1B changes proposed by Trump face backlash from tech, universities, and health care over legal and economic risks.

The Trump administration’s latest move, introducing steep fees for H-1B visas widely used by major tech players such as Amazon.com and Meta Platforms, is intended to protect American workers from foreign wage competition.

The mayor of London has called on the government to reconsider its immigration rules, which the TSSA transport union said could leave up to 300 Transport for London (TfL) staff at risk of removal.

Tech sector anxiety is growing as the Trump administration tightens H-1B visa rules, leading to fears among immigrant workers.