US$100,000 H-1B fee is one-time payment, White House says as US firms scramble

The White House issued a major clarification on Saturday to its new H-1B visa policy that had rattled the tech industry a day earlier, saying a US$100,000 fee will be a “one-time” payment imposed only on new applicants.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had repeatedly said on Friday that the fee would be applied annually, but a White House official said Saturday it is “a one-time fee that applies only to the petition”.
“It ONLY applies to new visas, not renewals or current visa holders,” the…