US' new $100,000 work visa fee not applied to H-1B1 visas for Singapore citizens

"The recent presidential proclamation regarding H-1B visas does not apply to the H-1B1 visa for Singaporean citizens," the Embassy said in a Facebook post on Monday, referring to the fee for new H-1B visa applicants announced by the Trump administration earlier this month.

"There is no change to the H-1B1 process at this time," it added.

H-1B is a temporary visa that allows skilled foreign professionals holding at least a bachelor’s degree to work in the U.S. It has long served as a major talent pipeline for tech companies and a key incentive for international students to pursue advanced degrees in the country.

Before the recent fee hike, total administrative charges for the visa came to about $1,500, according to BBC.

Though the number of new H-1B visas is limited to 65,000 per year, around 141,000 applications were approved last year as certain categories like university petitions are exempt from the cap, Reuters reported, citing data from Pew Research.

H-1B1, meanwhile, is only available to citizens of Singapore and Chile. Applicants must demonstrate that they have no intention of immigrating permanently to the U.S., per The Straits Times.

Unlike the standard H-1B, this visa does not allow permanent residency and is designed for professionals in specialized fields such as engineering, medicine, and biotechnology. It is capped at 5,400 for Singaporeans and 1,400 for Chileans per year.

It was set up under a free trade agreement signed by the U.S. and Singapore in 2003 and became effective the next year.

Data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs shows that 939 H-1B1 visas were issued to Singapore citizens in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024.