Washington, Sept. 24 -- The White House's abrupt decision to attach a H-1B $100,000 fee to new petitions has ricocheted across corporate America and far beyond, sending tech giants, hospital systems, universities, and a generation of Indian students into emergency planning mode. Framed as a bid to "protect American jobs," the move collides with how the US actually staffs critical parts of its economy, where global talent has long filled gaps domestic labor markets could not or would not meet.

Officials now say the payment applies to new H-1B applications and takes effect with petitions filed after 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21, 2025, not retroactively-a point clarified in a White House H-1B FAQ. That narrow description masks a wider foot...