‘We’re concerned about employees, their families’: US Chamber of Commerce on Trump’s H-1B visa fee move

The US Chamber of Commerce said it is concerned about the impact of the H-1B visa $100,000 fee executive order of the Donald Trump administration on employees and their families.

In a bombshell move that sparked concerns across the globe, US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a proclamation to impose $100,000 annual fee on the H-1B visa, a steep hike from the existing amount. Follow H-1B visa news live updates

“We’re concerned about the impact on employees, their families, and employers. We’re working with the Administration and our members to understand the full implications and the best path forward,” the US Chamber of Commerce said in a statement, shared on its website.

The move, taking effect from September 21, is set to hit hard some of US’s biggest companies that rely heavily on workers from abroad, a major chunk of whom are Indians.

Indians made up of 71 per cent H-1B visa grantees in 2024, while China was a distant second with about 11 per cent.

The $100,000 fees is a massive leap from the current amount and, according to an HT analysis, more than the median annual salary of a fresh H-1B visa holder and more than 80 per cent of the average annual salary of all H-1B visa holders.

The Trump administration order sparked concerns across the globe on Saturday, prompting big firms like Amazon, Microsoft and Meta to issue advisories to its employees to return to the US before the deadline or not leave as there was little clarity over exemptions.

As anxiety build, the White House clarified later that the fee will not be applied to existing holders of valid visas re-entering the country or renewals.

“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday.

Leavitt said on X that H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would and that the new fee would only apply in the next H-1B lottery round and not to current visa holders or renewals.