Rohan Mehta - not his real name - found himself in a stressful situation as he spent over $8,000 (£5,900) on flights in a desperate attempt to return to the US. His journey began in Nagpur, India, where he had traveled for the anniversary of his father's death. However, the unexpected announcement of a significant fee increase for H-1B visa applicants prompted him to cut his trip short. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 (£74,000) fee for new applicants to the visa program designed for skilled foreign workers, a cost that US-based companies would be required to bear.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to sponsor foreign professionals in specialized fields. This program has been particularly beneficial to workers from India, who represent more than 70% of the annual issuance of 85,000 H-1B visas. As news of the executive order spread, companies and immigration lawyers urged visa holders currently outside the US to return before the new fee took effect on Sunday.
Just a day after the executive order was signed, the White House clarified that the $100,000 fee would only apply to new applicants and would not impact current visa holders. However, this announcement came too late for many, including Rohan, who felt the weight of uncertainty weighing on his return. “Even if there was a slight delay, I’d have missed the deadline,” he explained after boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight from Mumbai to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Rohan described the last few days as traumatic, expressing relief that his wife and daughter had not accompanied him on the trip. “I’m regretting the choices I’ve made in life. I gave the prime of my youth to working for this country, the US, and now I feel like I’m not wanted,” he lamented. With his daughter having spent her entire life in the US, he voiced concerns about the possibility of uprooting their lives and starting anew in India.
In light of the new fee structure, Indian officials have warned that the increased costs could have serious humanitarian consequences for skilled workers. Many H-1B visa holders, who have dedicated years of their lives to working in the US, now face uncertainty regarding their future. One visa holder currently on holiday in Europe expressed confusion about how employers would respond to the new regulations, stating, “We are yet to see how employers are thinking and how this will play out.”
Immigration lawyers are still working to fully understand the implications of the executive order. They have been advising their clients to return to the US promptly. In a response on X, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the new fee would not be an annual charge but rather a one-time fee applicable only to new H-1B visa applications. She emphasized that current visa holders could continue to leave and re-enter the country as they normally would.
As the situation evolves, many H-1B visa holders are left grappling with the implications of the new fee and the uncertainty surrounding their immigration status. The future remains uncertain, but the resilience of these skilled workers continues to shine through as they navigate the complexities of the visa system.
