De-escalation: White House exempts U.S.-trained H-1B applicants

On October 20, 2025, it was confirmed that international college graduates seeking H-1B status while in the United States will be exempt from a $100,000 fee previously imposed by the Trump administration.

The exemption applies to recent graduates who are sponsored for H-1B visas, allowing them to pursue employment opportunities without the financial burden of the fee.

This change is expected to facilitate the hiring of skilled foreign workers in the U.S. tech and professional sectors, which have been facing labor shortages.

The $100,000 fee was part of broader immigration policies enacted during the Trump administration, which aimed to prioritize American workers and limit foreign labor.

There are no reported disagreements among sources regarding the exemption from the fee for international graduates.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources