'Do what you can to return to US': Microsoft warns Indian staff on Trump’s H-1B fee hike

Microsoft, according to sources, has issued an urgent internal advisory to its H-1B employees currently visiting India, warning they may be barred from re-entering the U.S. after September 21 unless their visa petitions include the newly mandated $100,000 Trump-era fee.

The advisory, circulated internally and confirmed by people familiar with the company’s immigration review, followed Microsoft’s legal team examining the September 21 White House proclamation that imposes the steep annual H-1B visa surcharge.

The company’s warning is blunt: from 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21, any H-1B worker outside the U.S. will not be allowed to return unless their employer pays the $100,000 fee — a cost that will only be covered for essential or high-level roles.

Microsoft has reportedly advised H-1B workers already inside the U.S. to cancel any travel plans and remain in the country “for the foreseeable future” to avoid being locked out. Though the proclamation doesn’t directly mention H-4 dependents, the company has urged spouses and children to avoid international travel as well.

Employees on short-term visits to India are being told to return as soon as possible. The advisory acknowledges that the narrow travel window may not accommodate everyone but stresses that the only safe option is to be back on U.S. soil before the rule kicks in.

The sudden policy shift has triggered panic across Indian tech circles. With Indian nationals comprising over 70% of the H-1B workforce, the proclamation’s impact is expected to fall heavily on India’s IT sector.

Industry experts suggest the move’s underlying intent is to create a “locked-in” environment, where junior and mid-level workers are either deterred from traveling or forced to exit the workforce entirely — a strategy critics say effectively weaponizes the immigration process.