Imagine booking a dream trip to Bali or gaming at a cafe in Bangkok, and hours later you’re rushing back to the US. Sounds wild, right? That’s exactly what happened to thousands of H-1B visa holders this weekend after President Trump signed an executive order jacking up visa fees to sky-high levels. 🚨
Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and banks including Goldman Sachs sent urgent memos telling employees on H-1B visas to return before the 12:01 a.m. EDT deadline on Sunday. If you were abroad, international travel was officially off the table until further notice.
Amid the stampede, the White House clarified on Saturday that the new fees only apply to fresh applicants, not existing visa holders or renewals. Doctors and medical pros might even be exempt from the reported $100,000 fee—phew! 👩🏽⚕️👨🏻⚕️
Why the shakeup? The White House says it wants to make sure only top-tier talent lands an H-1B spot, not low-cost alternatives to American workers. But the sudden rollout left people scrambling: on the Chinese social app Rednote, H-1B holders shared stories of flights turning around mid-taxi, just to meet the new rules.
Netflix chair Reed Hastings cheered the move, saying it could ditch the lottery chaos and bring more certainty. The US Chamber of Commerce, however, warned of the human toll—employees, families and employers are all feeling the stress.
So what’s next? If you’re holding an H-1B, you can probably breathe easier—latest updates say you’re safe until renewal time. But with policy shifts still landing, keep an eye on official channels and your company memos before booking any new trips. ✈️✅
Reference(s):
New H-1B policy sparks chaos, forces holders to return to US overnight
cgtn.com
