When the White House rolled out a proclamation on September 19, attaching a USD 100,000 (roughly Rs 88 lakh) fee to certain H-1B petitions, it set off immediate panic: inboxes flooded, hiring plans were revised and students reconsidered travel.

The guidance that followed on October 20 clarified the most urgent question for many: the H-1B $100,000 fee applies primarily to new H-1B petitions filed for beneficiaries outside the United States.

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Many petitions filed as an in-country F-1 to H-1B change of status, and extensions or many transfers, are generally exempt if USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) finds them eligible.

Students on F-1 student visas often rely on Optional Practical Training (OPT) to later transition to H-1B skilled work visas. So this is a real, practical relief for students already in the US who planned to use OPT as a stepping stone.

WHY INDIAN STUDENTS FEEL THIS DEEPLY

The anxiety surrounding US visas is about scale and timing. India sends the largest number of students to the US.

Open Doors and SEVP/ICE data shows that 420,000 Indian students enrolled on F-1/M-1 visas in 2023–24 and nearly 98,000 Indian students went into OPT — the route most likely to lead into H-1B roles.

If employers or universities had to factor in a $100k surcharge for student-to-worker status changes, many offers and sta