Your 2025 Survival Guide to F1, OPT & H1B: Everything Indian Students Need to Know

The $100,000 Question—And Why Your Dream Is Still Alive

The Panic—and the Truth

Overnight, every student WhatsApp group in India lit up.

“Did you hear about the $100,000 H-1B fee?”
“Will I even get a job now?”
“Is studying in the U.S. still worth it?”

I understand the fear. As someone who has spent decades guiding students to universities abroad, I’ve seen moments like this before—and each time, clarity wins over chaos. So let’s cut through the noise and understand what’s really happening with the H-1B visa proclamation and what it means for students on F1, OPT, and H1B in 2025.

What Actually Happened

On September 19, 2025, President Trump announced a Proclamation, not a law, that adds a $100,000 supplemental fee for new H-1B visa petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025.

Key facts:

• 
  It’s temporary—valid for 12 months (till Sept 21, 2026).
  
• 
  It targets new entries, not renewals or ongoing employment.
  
• 
  It’s already facing court challenges and industry pushback.
  
• 
  It’s not a $100,000 annual fee but a one-time petition surcharge.
  

This is not the end of the road—it’s a policy bump on a long highway.

1. F1 Students – Safe and Steady

If you’re currently studying in the U.S. on an F1 student visa, nothing changes for you.

• 
  Your studies continue as usual.
  
• 
  You can apply for CPT, internships, and OPT without disruption.
  
• 
  You can travel normally under your F1 status.
  

The only point of impact comes after graduation, if your employer files an H-1B petition during this proclamation’s window.

Your Strategy:
Focus on excellence—research, grades, and internships.
When you become the kind of graduate that employers must keep, the policy won’t decide your fate—your value will.

2. OPT and STEM OPT Students—Stay the Course

For those working in the U.S. under OPT or STEM OPT, here’s the simple truth:

• 
  Your work authorization is untouched.
  
• 
  Your status inside the U.S. remains valid.
  
• 
  You can continue working and even extend under STEM.
  

The only time this proclamation touches you is when you move from OPT to H-1B.
If your company files a new petition after Sept 21, 2025, the fee could apply.
However, USCIS hasn’t clarified whether Change of Status (COS) filings from inside the U.S. will be included—most experts expect partial exemptions.

Your Strategy:

• Don’t travel unnecessarily until DHS gives final guidance.
  
• Keep your employment and payroll documentation airtight.
  
• Stay in fields of national importance—AI, data, cybersecurity, healthcare—which could qualify for waivers under the National Interest Exception (NIE).
  
• Keep calm. Your OPT pathway remains a safe bridge for now.
  

3. H-1B Professionals—Extensions Are Safe

If you’re already working in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, here’s the verified update: Extensions and renewals with the same employer are explicitly exempt from the $100,000 fee.
Transfers or amendments (like job changes or location updates) remain unclear pending detailed DHS FAQs.

Your Strategy:

• 
  Plan any career moves carefully.
  
• 
  Consult immigration attorneys before switching employers.
  
• 
  Maintain compliance and documentation.
  
• 
  No travel restrictions apply to holders of existing visas.
  

4. Students Applying for Fall 2026 & 2027

Future aspirants, take a deep breath—this is not your battle yet.

The proclamation expires in Sept 2026, and you’ll file your H-1B years later.
Your F1 visa and admission process remain completely unaffected.
U.S. universities continue to welcome Indian students—in fact, 72% of all H-1B visas in 2024 were awarded to Indians.

Your Strategy:

• 
  Continue your applications confidently.
  
• 
  Choose universities with strong career services and STEM OPT extensions.
  
• 
  Stay informed—not afraid.
  

5. Courts, Congress, and Companies: The Balancing Force

This proclamation will almost certainly face legal scrutiny.

U.S. law is clear—only Congress can impose such a large financial burden. Immigration lawyers have already filed challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Separation of Powers.

Historically, courts have blocked or narrowed such proclamations:

• 
  The 2017 Travel Ban was heavily modified.
  
• 
  The 2020 USCIS Fee Hike was halted.
  
• 
  The 2012 DACA expansion faced similar legal reversals.
  

Translation: Don’t panic. The system has a track record of self-correction.

6. The National Interest Exception (NIE)

Buried in the fine print of the proclamation is a silver lining, a clause that allows exemptions “in the national interest of the United States.”

Likely eligible areas:

• 
  Healthcare and Life Sciences
  
• 
  Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity
  
• 
  Education, Public Health, and Research
  
• 
  Energy and Environmental Innovation
  

Your Strategy:
Build your personal “national impact” portfolio—research, patents, social initiatives, and publications. If the NIE criteria open up, you’ll already be ahead.

7. Think Global—Not Just America

Here’s a truth every 2025 student should embrace:
Global education = global opportunity.

While America debates fees, countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, and Ireland are actively expanding work and PR pathways for skilled graduates.

Example:

• • Canada: “Pro-tech, pro-mobility”—H-1B open work permit & STEM-targeted PR draws, but no blanket PR fast-track. 
    
  • Australia: Shorter PSW from July 2024; the temporary 2-year extension is over. 
    
  • Germany: The Blue Card was made easier—lower salary floors and up to a 4-year validity standard.
    

Your Strategy:
Stay open to multi-country careers. Build global mobility into your plan—not as an escape, but as an advantage.

8. What You Should Do Now

9. The Final Word—Courage Over Confusion

Let’s be clear: This is not the end of the American Dream.
It’s just another test of patience and preparation. The United States has consistently adapted to economic and political pressures—but its need for skilled global talent has remained unchanged. And no one represents that talent better than Indian students. So hold your ground. Keep your documents tight, your skills sharp, and your vision global.

Policies will change—but perseverance never goes out of policy.

Presented by IMFS—India’s most trusted study abroad guide since 1997

Authored by K. P. Singh
Mentor | Educationist | Founder – IMFS
🌍 Empowering the Global Indian Student
www.imfs.co.in

Sameer

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