White House on Monday indicated that doctors could be exempt from the Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee for high-skilled H-1B visa applications.
“The Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,” Bloomberg News quoted White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers saying in an email.
On Sunday, Washington woke up to a jolt. At 12:01 a.m. ET, US President Donald Trump’s proclamation on H-1B visas roared into effect, slapping a staggering $100,000 fee on fresh applicants. Signed on Friday, the order shook the immigrant tech world. Phones buzzed across Indian and American cities. Panic spread. Airlines saw sudden cancellations. Families called lawyers.
“This applies only to new visas, not renewals and not current visa holders,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
After the news spread on Socia media, in New Delhi and Bengaluru, workers debated midnight flights. WhatsApp groups filled with worried questions. Many scrambled to rebook tickets to America, desperate to land before the clock turned September 21.