NEW YORK: Confusion and urgency gripped thousands of skilled foreign workers after President Donald Trump announced a new $100,000 fee on fresh H-1B visa applications, triggering a scramble among employees and employers.
Workers, particularly from India and China, cut short personal and professional travel plans and hurried back to the United States before the order came into force at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday.
Major U.S. technology firms and financial institutions, including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan, issued urgent advisories directing employees overseas to return immediately and warning staff already inside the country to avoid leaving.
The sudden proclamation caused widespread panic as many feared the new rules could also affect existing visa holders or those seeking renewals. However, the White House later clarified that the measure is limited to new petitions only and does not impact current H-1B workers or extensions of status.
In India, government officials and IT industry leaders expressed alarm, cautioning that the fee could disrupt ongoing projects, increase operational costs, and complicate staffing models that depend heavily on cross-border mobility.
Worker advocacy groups criticized the policy shift, arguing that it undermines the flow of global talent and imposes unnecessary burdens on both individuals and companies.
The new fee forms part of Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, framed by the administration as an effort to protect American jobs and curb dependency on foreign labor.
For many skilled professionals and their employers, however, the abrupt rollout has fueled uncertainty, logistical disruption, and concerns about the future of the H-1B program.
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