By News18,Shobhit Gupta

Copyright news18

A shock move by US President Donald Trump to raise the H-1B visa fee to a staggering $100,000 (about Rs 88 lakh) has created widespread panic and confusion among Indian professionals and travellers, with many cancelling their plans to travel to India.
The timing has collided with the annual Durga Puja holiday season, when many Indian tech workers traditionally fly home to celebrate festivals with their loved ones. However, many Indian H-1B holders abandoned their family events and long-planned trips midway, with some deboarding planes while others in India scrambling to return amid lack of clarity after Trump on Friday signed a proclamation to raise the H-1B visa fees.
Upset and stressed, a Reddit user ‘Saramuch’ detailed the struggles faced by her and acquaintances holding H-1B visas who were stuck outside the US, left confused after tech firms like Amazon and Microsoft emailed employees on Saturday, asking them to return by September 21 at 9:31 am.
“And for those who lacks compassion, shame on you. You didn’t had to see my mom crying because she was about to see me for the 1st time in a few months, that we were about to spend a week together for the first time in a few years!” the Reddit user said, adding, “It’s unfair. We didn’t deserve it. The emotional toll has been immense, with families separated and important occasions missed.”
Several individuals holding H-1B visas told news agency PTI that the underlying emotion among them and their families right now is that of “a crazy sense of panic” and “worry.”
There are instances where people have cancelled their travel plans, including one who was to travel to India for his own wedding, as they were waiting in line to board their flights to India across US airports, the moment news came through of Trump’s proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ to raise the H-1B visa fee to $1,00,000 annually.
“People who are standing in boarding lines at airports, people who are leaving for their own wedding tomorrow, things like that. They are cancelling because they don’t know what to do,” a person told the news agency.
“This is a travel ban! Even if a person has a valid H-1B visa stamped on their passport, if they are travelling, or are on vacation, you cannot enter the US unless they have proof of the USD 1,00,000 payment. No one knows what the process is, what the fine print is. There’s absolute panic,” one of the individuals said.
The worried people also pointed to the timing of the proclamation, coming just weeks before Indian professionals and their families travel to India for Diwali and other year-end holidays.
“People had plans to travel to India for Diwali. They’re all in a flux and not sure what to do. Families book tickets for Diwali, for the December holiday season well in advance. This is the time when most people travel.
“This is the time when people actually want to leave and be with family during the holiday season. Now this has happened. Does that mean that I cannot travel this year? That’s another sense of ‘oh my god’,” they said.
People have been under stress for this whole year with so many changes, not knowing what will happen, now the H-1B related proclamation has added another layer of uncertainty, and nobody seems to understand where this is headed.
There are so many questions about who is next? “Will students on F1 visas or those on L1 work visas be next,” the people asked.
“What happens to my spouse who’s on a H4 visa, can they travel? None of these things are super clear. Another thing that has caused panic for a lot of people is that when such news comes out, nobody talks about the specifics. Nobody’s able to help,” they added.
White House’s Clarification
Later, the White House clarified that the individuals currently holding H-1B visas, including those visiting India or abroad, won’t be affected.
The White House on Saturday (September 20) issued a major clarification to its new H-1B visa policy as panic swept through the tech industry. It said this fee will be a “one-time” payment for only new applicants, and not an annual fee. It will only be imposed on new applicants and not impact renewals as well as existing visa holders.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the clarification after the US Commerce Secretary on Friday (September 19) said the H1-B visa fee has to be paid annually by new applicants and renewals. Her three-point clarification on X also said existing visa holders currently outside the US will “NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter”.
The move by the US administration had sparked concerns for the Indians, as 71-72 per cent of H-1B visas are going to Indians.
India Reacts To H-1B New Visa Fees
Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, in an official statement, said that industry in both India and the US has a stake in innovation and creativity and can be expected to consult on the best path forward.
“The Government has seen reports related to the proposed restrictions on the US H1B visa program. The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program,” read the official statement.
(With inputs from agencies)