21/09/2025
America has changed its visa rules.
On September 19, 2025, a new proclamation was signed in the US. It introduced significant changes to visa rules, especially for the H-1B visa category. These changes are expected to have a major impact on foreign workers and companies, especially in the technology and IT sectors.
Here is a breakdown of the main changes:
New H-1B visa fee
• New rule: US companies will now have to pay a hefty fee of $100,000 to hire a worker from abroad on a new H-1B visa.
• Effective date: The rule will go into effect on September 21, 2025, and will last for 12 months, although it can be extended.
• Exemptions: This fee does not apply to current H-1B visa holders who are already in the US. However, those currently outside the country have been advised by some companies and lawyers to return immediately to avoid potential problems upon re-entry. The Department of Homeland Security can also grant exemptions for workers in areas deemed to be in the U.S. national interest, such as artificial intelligence or national security.
• Impact: This new fee is a significant increase from the previous cost of a few thousand dollars and is expected to make it much harder for companies, especially small businesses and startups, to hire foreign talent. It is seen as a measure to protect American jobs and raise wages for U.S. workers.
Other Visa Changes
In addition to the H-1B changes, there have been other recent updates to U.S. visa policies:
• Interview Waiver Program (Dropbox): The comprehensive interview waiver program, which allowed many applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been withdrawn effective September 2, 2025. This means that most applicants, including children under 14 and adults over 79, will now be required to apply for a U.S. visa. An in-person interview at an embassy or consulate will be required. This is expected to result in longer wait times, especially in high-demand countries like India.
• Third-country appointments: Effective September 6, 2025, applicants are no longer permitted to apply for nonimmigrant visas in a third country (e.g., an Indian citizen applying in Thailand). This is expected to further increase wait times.
• Visa Integrity Fee: A new, separate $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” is expected to be introduced for most nonimmigrant visa applications effective October 1, 2025. This is intended to cover additional security screening.
• No more third-party passport collection: Effective August 1, 2025, third parties are no longer permitted to collect passports from visa application centers, with some limited exceptions.
These new rules are expected to increase the difficulty and cost of obtaining a U.S. visa for many categories, leading to longer processing times and increased scrutiny.
Explain the impact of H-1B fees on small businesses. What are the new visa rules for other categories? How can I prepare for the new visa interview requirements?
