A wave of panic swept through Indian H-1B visa holders and applicants across the United States on Saturday after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. The unprecedented order triggered chaos at airports, with scenes of confusion and fear unfolding on international flights.
At San Francisco International airport, several Indian passengers reportedly disembarked from an Emirates flight just minutes before takeoff, fearing they might not be able to return to the US if they left. The flight was delayed for over three hours as ground staff scrambled to manage the sudden exits, according to eyewitness accounts and viral videos circulating on X and Instagram.
One X user posted: “An international flight packed with Indians (coming for Durga Puja) from Bay Area had completed boarding and was due to leave SFO Airport, when the news about H-1B visa new rules just broke out. Indians aboard panicked, pleaded to get off the plane.”
Tech giants urge caution as confusion spreads
The panic was not limited to airports. Tech giants including Microsoft, Amazon, and JP Morgan reportedly advised employees on H-1B visas to return to the US before September 21 or avoid international travel altogether to prevent potential visa complications, the Times of India reported.
Currently, the cost of filing an H-1B petition ranges between $2,000 (about Rs 17.5 lakh) and $5,000 (about Rs 44 lakh). Trump’s order raises it to a staggering $100,000 (about Rs 88 lakh) for new petitions, a move experts say could devastate Indian professionals and companies that rely heavily on the visa programme. Indians account for more than 70 per cent of H-1B visa holders in the US.
White House clarifies: ‘not an annual fee’
Later in the day, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt issued a clarification on X: “This is not an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.” The clarification, however, did little to calm nerves, as many visa holders remained unsure whether their pending applications or travel plans would be affected.
Uncertainty and anxiety grip Indian diaspora
Immigration attorneys reported a surge in calls from clients trying to understand the implications and make urgent travel arrangements. Many families scrambled to return to the US before the rule took effect at midnight, fearing they could be locked out or face steep costs on reentry.
The H-1B visa, popular among Indian tech workers, is typically issued for three years and renewable for another three years. Trump’s executive order, signed on September 21, cited rising unemployment among US computer science graduates, layoffs linked to H-1B hiring, and national security risks as reasons for the overhaul.
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