The Trump administration’s sudden imposition of a new fee on H-1B visas triggered panic and confusion among foreign workers, particularly from India and China, with many abandoning travel plans to rush back to the United States.
According to Reuters, major technology firms and banks issued urgent memos to employees abroad, advising them to return before the rule took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday (0401 GMT). The uncertainty led to chaotic scenes at airports, as some workers cut short vacations and others deplaned to avoid being locked out of the U.S.
A White House official later clarified that the order applied only to new applicants, not existing visa holders or those seeking renewals. However, President Donald Trump’s announcement a day earlier had already set off alarm bells in Silicon Valley.
At San Francisco International Airport, several Indian nationals abruptly canceled travel, forcing delays on an Emirates flight to Dubai. One tech engineer told Reuters he had to choose “between family and staying here,” as his wife, also on an H-1B visa, opted to continue to India to care for her ailing mother.
Similar stories emerged from Chinese nationals on social media platform Rednote, where visa holders described scrambling back to the U.S. — in some cases within hours of arriving abroad. One woman recounted abandoning a Paris trip after her employer warned employees overseas to return immediately.
Companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Goldman Sachs issued advisories. Amazon later told employees no action was needed for those already holding valid visas, according to a source familiar with internal communications.
By Sunday, tensions had eased after clarifications from the White House. IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn told CBS’s Face the Nation that while the announcement caused “panic over the weekend,” confusion had since subsided. Cohn defended the measure as a positive step to reform a system he described as “historically a lottery.”
Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings also backed the policy, saying it would bring greater certainty for visa recipients.
Since taking office, Trump has launched a broad immigration crackdown. The H-1B measure marks his most visible effort to reshape temporary employment visas, which the administration argues have been abused to suppress wages and disadvantage American workers. Critics counter that the program supplies vital talent to U.S. companies.
Under the new proclamation, employers must pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B petition. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem retains discretion to exempt applicants. While Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initially suggested the charge would be annual, the White House later clarified it is a one-time fee.
