President Donald Trump’s latest plan to overhaul the American immigration system has left some immigrant workers confused, forcing the White House on Saturday to scramble to clarify that a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas for skilled tech workers only applies to new applicants and not to current visa holders.
“Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a posting on X. “This applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders.”
The fee took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday. It is scheduled to expire after a year. But it could be extended if the government determines that is in the interest of the United States to keep it.
Here’s what to know:
New autism findings: Trump is expected to hold a news conference Monday to reveal “an answer to autism.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promised that his agency would determine the cause of autism by September, has long pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability.TikTok deal: Tech giant Oracle will receive a copy of TikTok’s algorithm to operate for U.S. users, according to a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday. The Trump administration official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the emerging deal, said they believe the plan will satisfy national security concerns over a Chinese company potentially manipulating what is being shown to platform users.The Pentagon’s media restrictions: The Pentagon says it will require credentialed journalists at the military headquarters to sign a pledge to refrain from reporting information that has not been authorized for release — including unclassified information. Journalists who don’t abide by the policy risk losing access to the office building.