The sudden announcement by US President Donald Trump to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 (approximately Rs 88 lakh) and enforce it with a short deadline of September 21 triggered widespread panic among Indian H-1B visa holders. The decision created immediate chaos at airports both in the US and India, as many visa holders scrambled to adjust travel plans and avoid being barred from entry. With Indians accounting for around 70% of all H-1B recipients, the policy hit them particularly hard, coming at a time when numerous professionals were returning home for Durga Puja celebrations.
The rules stipulated that all H-1B holders must enter the US before 12:01 am EDT (9:31 am IST) on September 21; failure to comply would result in denied entry unless the sponsoring employer paid the newly imposed fee. The abrupt deadline left many Indian professionals abroad stranded, as even direct flights could not arrive in time to meet the cutoff. Airlines quickly raised fares to take advantage of the sudden surge in demand, with one-way tickets from New Delhi to New York skyrocketing from around Rs 37,000 to Rs 70,000-80,000 within a matter of hours. Many tech companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and JP Morgan, advised their H-1B employees not to leave the US, urging those currently abroad to return immediately.
The upheaval was visible at airports, where panic led some H-1B holders to disembark mid-flight after learning about the new rules. At San Francisco airport, Emirates passengers faced hours-long delays, with numerous Indians choosing to leave the aircraft out of concern for re-entry restrictions. Similar scenes unfolded on flights from Dubai to Mumbai and other international routes, as passengers scrambled to avoid being caught by the deadline. Social media accounts highlighted the chaos, noting that flights packed with Indian professionals returning for festivals were disrupted, with several passengers pleading to deboard once the news broke. The sudden policy change underscored the vulnerability of H-1B visa holders to abrupt regulatory shifts and highlighted the broader implications for global mobility of skilled Indian professionals.
