USCIS Limits $100,000 H-1B Fee Scope | JQJO

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has narrowed who must pay the new $100,000 H-1B fee, saying it applies only to new applicants living abroad. In a late Monday notice, the agency said petitions filed on or after Sept. 21 for workers outside the U.S.—and petitions that request consular, port-of-entry, or pre-flight inspection notification for an applicant in the U.S.—must pay the fee before applying. The fee does not apply to changes of status, such as F-1 to H-1B. The clarification follows earlier White House remarks and President Trump’s Sept. 19 justification for the policy.