By Saturday evening, a White House official clarified that the rule would apply only to new applicants and not to existing visa holders or renewals - an announcement that calmed a wave of corporate travel advisories and canceled flights. Immigration attorney Douglas Russo warned on LinkedIn, "If you are an H-1B worker outside the U.S. who already has an H-1B visa, the safest approach is re-entering before Sunday." The White House later emphasized the $100,000 fee would take effect in the next lottery cycle and apply only to petitions not yet filed. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said companies would have to pay the new fee "for each petition," while White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that it is a one-time fee, not an annual charge. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the move fulfills Trump's campaign pledge to protect American workers.