Panic, confusion, and anger swept through H-1B visa holders from India and China after President Donald Trump imposed new visa fees as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. The sudden announcement forced many to abandon their travel plans and rush back to the United States. Tech companies and banks sent out urgent memos, advising employees to return before a deadline of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time Sunday and to avoid leaving the country.
A White House official later clarified on Saturday that the order applied only to new applicants, not to existing visa holders or those seeking renewals, which helped alleviate some of the confusion. However, the day before, Trump’s proclamation had already set off alarm bells in Silicon Valley and beyond.
A Rush to Get Back to the U.S.
Fearing they would not be allowed back into the country once the new rule took effect, several Indian nationals at San Francisco airport cut their vacations short. An engineer at a large tech company described a tragic situation where he and his wife had to “choose between family and staying here.” His wife, also an H-1B holder, chose to fly to India to care for her sick mother despite the chaos. A woman in a video circulating on social media was seen deplaning a flight, while another, who was in France, canceled her trip after receiving an urgent email from her company’s lawyers.
On the popular Chinese social media app Rednote, H-1B visa holders shared their stories of having to rush back to the U.S., in some cases just hours after landing abroad. Some likened the panic to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they urgently returned to the U.S. before a travel ban took effect. One user, “Emily’s Life in NY,” expressed a “mix of disappointment, sadness, and frustration” after having to leave a flight bound for Paris.
Trump’s Shifting Stance on H-1B Visas
Since taking office in January, Trump has initiated a broad immigration crackdown, including measures to limit certain forms of legal immigration. This move to reshape the H-1B visa program is his administration’s most high-profile effort yet to reform temporary work visas, underscoring what critics call a protectionist agenda.
The new policy represents a U-turn from Trump’s earlier stance. He had previously sided with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of H-1B visas, stating that he fully supported the program for foreign tech workers, even though some of his supporters opposed it. Trump administration officials now argue that the visa program allows companies to suppress wages, and that curbing it will open up more jobs for American tech workers. Conversely, supporters of the program maintain that it is essential for bringing in highly skilled workers to fill talent gaps and keep companies competitive.
In the hours following the proclamation, social media was filled with debates over the order’s scope and a sense of dismay that many saw as a move that tarnished America’s appeal as a destination for skilled workers. An anonymous user on Rednote, who had to cut a holiday in Tokyo short, likened their life to that of an “H-1B slave” and described their rushed return as “a real-life ‘Fast & Furious’ return to the US.”
The proclamation stated that some employers “have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labour market for American citizens.” It also noted that the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, could grant exemptions from the fees. While Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initially stated that companies would have to pay a $100,000 annual fee per worker, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later clarified on X that it was a one-time fee per petition.
