Sweeping changes to the H-1B foreign worker visa scheme relied on by US tech groups left companies at the weekend rushing to ensure thousands of employees around the globe do not trigger hefty new fees.
US president Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that would introduce a $100,000 (€85,100) application fee for the visa, but did not clarify whether the change would apply to existing H-1B holders.
Companies including Amazon and Microsoft issued emergency guidance to employees, urging H-1B holders not to leave the country until the new rules were clarified. They also asked staff currently overseas to return to the US before measures entered force on Sunday.
The White House on Saturday sought to clarify the scope of the changes amid the confusion.
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Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the one-off fee would apply only to new applicants, not current H-1B holders or those renewing. She added that the new fees would only take effect in the next cycle.
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