White House clarifies $100,000 fee does not apply to current H1B visa holders or renewals. Safe to travel. Also, its not annual fee

TOI correspondent from Washington: The Trump White House has walked back a more stringent interpretation of the enhanced $ 100,000 H1B visa fee, clarifying it does not impact current visa holders and applies only to visa applicants in the next lottery cycle which starts around March 2026. Directly contradicting US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s statement…

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$100k H1-B visa fee: Not annual, says Donald Trump official; issues 3-point clarification for existing holders & new applicants

Trump signed the order raising H1-B visa application fees to $100,000 The recently announced $100,000 H-1B visa fee will apply only to new visa applications and is not an annual charge, the White House press secretary clarified on Saturday. The announcement comes after widespread confusion and concern over the implications of a presidential proclamation issued…

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‘Americans to control TikTok US board’: White House on proposed China deal; agreement expected soon

A proposed US-China agreement on TikTok would give Americans a majority on a board overseeing the app’s US operations, the White House said Saturday. “Americans will control six of the seven seats for a planned board,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News, according to the Associated Press.Leavitt added, “We are 100 per…

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GST 2.0 impact: Companies rush to hire temporary staff; rate cuts expected to boost festive buying

Companies across consumer electronics, e-commerce, automobiles, retail, logistics, and FMCG are rushing to hire temporary staff as India’s festive season kicks off, following reduced GST rates from September 22. Industry experts say many shoppers had postponed purchases earlier this season, which dented sales, but with firms passing on GST cuts through price reductions, buyers are…

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European airports cyber attack: Indian airports remain unaffected; Heathrow, Berlin & others face delays

Indian airports have so far remained safe from the cyber attack that has swept across many airports in Europe, a senior government official told PTI on Saturday.London Heathrow, Berlin and several other European airports are facing operational disruptions after a cyber-attack on Collins Aerospace systems, used at the airports.Following the incident in Europe, Indian authorities…

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GST rate cut impact: Amul lowers prices of range of items; ghee cheaper by Rs 40 – check list

Amul’s parent company, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), on Saturday announced reducing the retail prices of more than 700 product packs, passing the benefits of recent GST reforms to consumers. The price reduction covers a wide range of products, including ghee, butter, ice cream, bakery items, and frozen snacks, with the new prices taking…

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