On Friday, the White House announced a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, sparking a wave of confusion and panic as companies and workers scrambled to make sense of the order.
Three tech workers from across the US explained how they spent Friday night and Saturday.
Two anonymous tech workers, whose identities Business Insider has verified, shared their concerns about potential retaliation for speaking out, highlighting the widespread anxiety caused by the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee
After earning my engineering degree in India, I was recruited by a US tech firm straight out of college
My H-1B journey began after three years with my US tech company's India operations. Expertise in the technology and customer base led to my transfer to the US in 2013. This unique experience highlights the challenges faced by many H-1B visa holders navigating the US immigration system
Secured my H-1B visa swiftly and relocated to the US in 2013, beginning my journey in the American tech industry
Twelve years on an H-1B visa: The crushing weight of the Indian green card backlog has left my future uncertain, even after a decade of contributing to the US tech industry
President's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Proclamation Sparks Chaos: Tech Workers React
The White House's surprise $100,000 H-1B visa fee announcement sent shockwaves through the tech industry. For the past 36 hours, my career has felt like a major production outage—a constant scramble to understand the implications for my future and the future of my H-1B visa. Uncertainty surrounds renewals, new applications, and even H-4 dependents, leaving many of us frantically searching for answers and clarity
H-1B Visa Fee Increase: Uncertainty Surrounds New $100,000 Cost for Applications, Renewals, and Dependents. The announcement left many questioning who bears the financial burden—employees or employers—and the potential impact on H-1B workers and their families, including H-4 dependents. The lack of clarity surrounding the application of this new fee created widespread anxiety and confusion
Frantically searching YouTube, LinkedIn, and the White House website for clarification on the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, I felt like my career was on the line. The lack of clear instructions regarding applications, renewals, and H-4 dependents created immense uncertainty
Amidst the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee announcement, many companies are restricting employee travel, with some H-1B holders overseas urgently recalled before September 21st. This reflects the widespread uncertainty and concern gripping the tech industry following the White House proclamation
The surprise announcement of a $100,000 H-1B visa fee sent shockwaves through the tech industry. Friends visiting India scrambled to book last-minute flights back to the US, fearing they wouldn't be allowed to re-enter due to the new policy's uncertainty. This highlights the immediate impact and widespread anxiety caused by the sudden fee increase for H-1B visa holders
H-1B Visa Changes: Uncertainty Forces India Trip Cancellation
My planned India vacation is on hold due to concerns about the impact of recent H-1B visa changes on current visa stampings. The new $100,000 fee announcement has created significant uncertainty for H-1B visa holders, prompting many to reconsider international travel plans
Unexpected H-1B Visa Fee Chaos: My Family's Urgent Trip Home Amidst the Turmoil. My mother's visit coincided with a last-minute family emergency requiring an immediate return trip to India. My sister's cancelled travel plans, due to a recent childbirth, added to the already stressful situation, forcing me to quickly arrange alternative travel arrangements
The White House’s update that it would only impact people in the next lottery cycle brought a lot of relief.
The anxiety of this weekend and the lack of a clear pathway to a more permanent residency are now making us rethink things.
We might decide that if it’s getting harder to live on the H-1B, it’s better to go back to our home country rather than being stressed out in the US.
I moved from India to the US a decade ago to pursue a master’s in engineering. I’ve been with my current company since graduating from the program.
I received my H-1B visa on my third try in the lottery. I was anxious leading up to it and had already started exploring what my fallback options could be.
I found out about the new White House order on the H-1B visa on Friday from friends who began checking up on me and whether the new rules would affect me.
I opened ChatGPT and asked what exactly the order was, what criteria of H-1B holders it affected, and if there were any changes to alternative visas like the E-B1 or E-B2. More than H-1B, I was hoping there were no changes to the green card routes.
I was planning a holiday in a couple of months, but I’ve punted planning that trip and buying tickets. It doesn’t make sense for me to book something and then not be allowed to travel.
The White House’s clarification about how the new rules only apply to new applicants was definitely relieving.
After years in the US, my spouse and I have the mindset of not letting these changes affect us too much. We say that if we’re here temporarily, let’s make the most of it and continue to grow in our careers by making ourselves more indispensable.
But in the past year, I’ve started to explore ways I can build a more credible profile so that I qualify for more expedited green card options.
Since the administration changed, I’ve also been making sure we are renewing our documents and getting our passport stampings done proactively and not waiting until the last minute.
It’s made me feel the pain of new graduates and how difficult it would be for them to come to the US, pay off student loans, and get an opportunity to find an employer that would be supportive of them working here.
That will be a big challenge, at least for the next 12 months, but I’m hoping people are still supportive of the highly skilled talent that comes through.
I came to the US in 2018 to pursue my master’s in computer engineering.
I was fortunate enough to get my H-1B visa on my first attempt when I was still in graduate school.
Even though I did not move from India with the expectation to stay in the US long term, I felt relieved to get the visa and thought it gave me an option to stay longer if I wanted.
I’ve worked for multiple Big Tech companies since graduating and am currently a software engineer at a tech firm based in Silicon Valley.
It’s been a tough 36 hours.
I was wrapping up work on a Friday evening and solving a client issue when a friend called and started telling me about what was going on.
I instantly started Googling and reading about it, trying to figure out what exactly had happened.
I was troubled because I am going through an H-1B extension right now, and I thought I would be impacted.
I spoke to my wife, who was out of town for the weekend, and we decided she should not travel back to India for her visa stamping. We’re waiting for things to cool down before booking any tickets.
After our call, I was frustrated, so I went to play pickleball with my friends to work out some of those emotions.
I came home to a call from my mom back in India. My parents heard the news, and they asked me what was going on and why I didn’t just leave the US and work somewhere else. I told them we should wait for things to settle down before making a big decision.
My friends, most of whom work at Nvidia, Google, and Microsoft, are all in the same boat. At dinner after the game, we chatted about the new order and what we should do.
That night, I watched webinars from immigration and employment lawyers to try to make sense of the proclamation. I told myself that there was not much I could do right now besides going to sleep.
New guidance from the immigration authority about existing H-1B holders has made me feel like I’m off the hook, but my wife and I are still waiting for more confirmation before making travel plans.
My reason to come to the US was that it’s the heart of innovation. But I was doing well in my previous role in India before I came for my master’s, and I’ve been thinking about whether it makes sense to live here long term.
I’ve started thinking about options such as the Global Talent visa in the UK or opportunities in Singapore.
Being in Silicon Valley is rewarding from a work perspective, because the people here are at the top of their game, but now it feels like, is it really worth it?
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