SINGAPORE: The new US$100,000 (S$129,000) fee for H-1B visas does not apply to the H-1B1 visas available to Singapore citizens, the United States Embassy in Singapore said on Monday (Sep 29).
US President Donald Trump’s administration announced the fee on Sep 19, and it kicked in on Sep 21.
“The recent presidential proclamation regarding H-1B visas does not apply to the H-1B1 visa for Singaporean citizens. There is no change to the H-1B1 process at this time,” the embassy said in a Facebook post.
The H-1B visa allows for the temporary employment of non-immigrant foreigners working in sectors that require highly specialised skills, such as tech.
The H-1B1 visa is a special variant of the H-1B visa for citizens of Singapore and Chile. There are 5,400 such visas available to Singaporeans each year.
The visas allow for a one-year employment period and can be extended up to two times in one-year increments. According to the US State Department, those who apply for H-1B1 visas must demonstrate that they do not intend to remain or work permanently in the US.
The H-1B programme offers 65,000 visas annually to employers bringing in temporary foreign workers in specialised fields, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. H-1B visas are approved for periods of three to six years.
The announcement of the new fee prompted some big tech companies to warn visa holders to stay in the US or quickly return to the country.
Since taking office in January, Trump has kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown that has included moves to limit some forms of legal immigration.
The step to reshape the H-1B visa programme represents his administration’s most high-profile effort yet to rework temporary employment visas.
