Flight Fares Soar For Indian Workers After Trump’s USD 100K Fee Move

New York : US President Donald Trump’s sudden move to raise the fee for H-1B visas to $100,000 (Rs 88 lakh) and a short implementation deadline of September 21 has sparked chaos at US airports, with reports of several Indian techies disembarking from aircraft as soon as the announcement was made.

Those stranded in India saw a massive jump in the cost of a direct flight to the US as airlines looked to cash in on the chaos unleashed by Trump. With Indians accounting for about 70% of all H-1B visa recipients, the move hits them harder. 0Top tech firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and JP Morgan have advised their employees holding H-1B visas not to leave the US. Those who are currently abroad have been asked to return to the United States immediately.

H-1B visa holders on a vacation or business trip to India have already missed the deadline. “H-1B visa holders who are out of the US on business or vacation will get stranded unless they get in before midnight September 21. H-1Bs still in India may have already missed the deadline as there is no way a direct flight from India will get in time,” said Cyrus Mehta, a US immigration attorney.

A chartered accountant, Kaustav Majumdar, said a similar situation happened on an international flight that was packed with Indians who were coming home for Durga Puja. Extremely sad situation… An international flight packed with Indians from Bay Area had completed boarding and was due to leave SFO Airport. When the news about H-1 B visa new rules just broke out, Indians aboard panicked and pleaded to get off the plane, he tweeted.

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