Trump’s H-1B Crackdown Traps Indian Tech Workers As Apple, Google Warn: Don’t Travel

Donald Trump’s renewed crackdown on H-1B visas is turning routine holiday travel into a life-altering risk for thousands of Indian tech workers in the United States. What was once a short visa-stamping trip to India has become a potential one-way exit from American jobs, homes and families. With a massive $100,000 annual fee on H-1B workers, tougher security checks and expanded social-media screening, visa processing has slowed to a crawl. US consulates across India have postponed or cancelled thousands of H-1B and H-4 appointments, some pushed into 2026 and 2027, leaving professionals stranded abroad. As panic spreads, tech giants like Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are warning visa-dependent employees to cancel foreign travel and consult immigration lawyers before crossing borders. The fallout is disrupting families, pausing salaries, and threatening Silicon Valley projects, placing Indian professionals at the heart of a global immigration storm.