Microsoft Issues 24-Hour Deadline Warning to Indian and Foreign Staff as H-1B Visa Fee Hikes to $100,000

Microsoft has issued an urgent advisory to employees on H-1B and H-4 visas, instructing them to return to the United States before the Trump administration’s September 21 deadline. The directive comes after Washington announced that employers will soon be charged an additional $100,000 per year for each H-1B visa holder.

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According to an internal email reviewed by Reuters, Microsoft has strongly advised visa holders currently abroad to fly back without delay, while those already in the US have been told to remain there until further notice. The communication stated: “H-1B visa holders should stay in the US for the foreseeable future. Also recommend H-4 visa holders remain in the US. Strongly recommend H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US tomorrow before the deadline.”

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H-1B visa hike price

On September 19, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, describing it as a measure to protect American jobs. The move has sparked concern across the technology sector, which relies heavily on highly skilled workers from countries like India and China.

Justifying the decision, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said: “If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land. Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs.”

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Echoing this stance, White House staff secretary Will Scharf described the H-1B visa program as “one of the most abused visa systems.” He explained that the executive order aims to ensure companies only hire “very highly skilled” foreign professionals who cannot easily be replaced by American workers.

India is the biggest source of H‑1B visas

India continues to dominate the demand for H-1B visas. Government data shows that Indian professionals accounted for 71% of approvals last year, with China at 11.7%. In the first half of 2025 alone, Amazon and its cloud unit AWS received over 12,000 H-1B approvals, while Microsoft and Meta each secured more than 5,000.