US official says $100K H-1B fee won’t block reentry, only applies to new visas
“Indians on H-1B visas do not need to rush back to America by Sunday or pay $100,000 to re-enter the country,” the official said on Saturday, offering much-needed relief to thousands of Indian professionals stuck between headlines and hearsay.
- Sep 20, 2025,
- Updated Sep 20, 2025 11:34 PM IST
After a wave of panic and viral airport chaos, a U.S. official has confirmed that Indians on H-1B visas do not need to rush back to America or pay $100,000 to re-enter, despite earlier warnings from major tech firms.
As rumors and airline mayhem swirled around Trump's surprise $100,000 H-1B visa fee, Indian tech workers feared the worst. But now, a senior U.S. official has clarified: there is no need to panic.
“Indians on H-1B visas do not need to rush back to America by Sunday or pay $100,000 to re-enter the country,” the official told news agency ANI on Saturday, offering much-needed relief to thousands of Indian professionals stuck between headlines and hearsay.
The $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B visa petitions, not to existing visa holders or renewals—a crucial distinction that was lost amid frantic company memos and social media speculation. Earlier, internal messages from Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and JP Morgan urged all H-1B and H-4 holders to return to the U.S. before 12:01 AM EDT on September 21, citing the new rule’s effective deadline.
The confusion hit a peak at airports across the U.S., particularly at San Francisco International. Viral messages and videos—some unverified—described Indian passengers disembarking from Emirates flights minutes before takeoff, terrified they might be locked out of the U.S. upon return.
“An international flight packed with Indians (coming for Durga Puja) from Bay Area had completed boarding & was due to leave SFO Airport, when the news about H-1B visa new rules just broke out,” posted CA Kaustav Majumdar on X. “Indians aboard panicked, pleaded to get off the plane.”
Now, with the official clarification, the rush to reenter may ease—but not before exposing a deeper anxiety within the immigrant tech workforce. With Indians accounting for 70% of all H-1B visa holders, the policy hit close to home.
The Indian government has reportedly asked its missions to assist citizens returning to the U.S., though urgency may now shift to clarity over policy, not departure times.
After a wave of panic and viral airport chaos, a U.S. official has confirmed that Indians on H-1B visas do not need to rush back to America or pay $100,000 to re-enter, despite earlier warnings from major tech firms.
As rumors and airline mayhem swirled around Trump's surprise $100,000 H-1B visa fee, Indian tech workers feared the worst. But now, a senior U.S. official has clarified: there is no need to panic.
“Indians on H-1B visas do not need to rush back to America by Sunday or pay $100,000 to re-enter the country,” the official told news agency ANI on Saturday, offering much-needed relief to thousands of Indian professionals stuck between headlines and hearsay.
The $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B visa petitions, not to existing visa holders or renewals—a crucial distinction that was lost amid frantic company memos and social media speculation. Earlier, internal messages from Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and JP Morgan urged all H-1B and H-4 holders to return to the U.S. before 12:01 AM EDT on September 21, citing the new rule’s effective deadline.
The confusion hit a peak at airports across the U.S., particularly at San Francisco International. Viral messages and videos—some unverified—described Indian passengers disembarking from Emirates flights minutes before takeoff, terrified they might be locked out of the U.S. upon return.
“An international flight packed with Indians (coming for Durga Puja) from Bay Area had completed boarding & was due to leave SFO Airport, when the news about H-1B visa new rules just broke out,” posted CA Kaustav Majumdar on X. “Indians aboard panicked, pleaded to get off the plane.”
Now, with the official clarification, the rush to reenter may ease—but not before exposing a deeper anxiety within the immigrant tech workforce. With Indians accounting for 70% of all H-1B visa holders, the policy hit close to home.
The Indian government has reportedly asked its missions to assist citizens returning to the U.S., though urgency may now shift to clarity over policy, not departure times.