H-1B Processing and Presidential Proclamation Update
This is to confirm that ISSS continues to file H-1B petitions and has not ceased H-1B processing following the recent Presidential Proclamation.
Key Points Regarding the $100,000 Fee:
- No Impact: H-1B cases filed within the United States after September 21, 2025, are not affected by the fee.
- Impact: H-1B employees whose Change of Status cases filed after September 21, 2025, travel abroad to apply for a visa and seek entry to the U.S.
- Impact: H-1B employees whose new H-1B employment cases filed after September 21, 2025 outside the U.S., apply for a visa and seek entry to the U.S.
- Possible Impact: H-1B employees whose change of employer, extension, or amendment cases filed after September 21, 2025 outside the U.S., apply for a visa and seek entry to the U.S.
ISSS will continue to move forward with all H-1B petitions, both for current employees and new hires who are in the United States. Our goal remains to support timely and efficient processing of all cases.
Since the $100,000 fee is tied to visa application and entry to the U.S., we recommend exercising extra caution when planning international travel. For new H-1B cases hiring employees from abroad—which may trigger the fee—we will proceed based on individual department requests.
Please note that the Proclamation itself lacks clear guidance and leaves room for interpretation. We are closely monitoring updates and will share guidance as soon as it becomes available.
If you have questions about a specific case or need additional guidance, please contact Chiwei Huang Ma, Associate Director, Faculty and Scholar Services, at cwhuang@upenn.edu.