The White House issued a major clarification Saturday to its new H-1B visa policy that had rattled the tech industry a day earlier, saying a $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."
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