Indian H-1B visa holders in US described the “crazy sense of panic” that ensued the community after Donald Trump-administration approved $1,00,000 fee on the work visas on Saturday. The sudden move, coming just weeks before Diwali and the year-end holiday season, has left families in turmoil, many cancelling flights at the last minute, including one individual who called off their own wedding trip to India. With the new rule linked to restrictions on re-entry, even those holding valid visas fear being stranded abroad.US admin, however, tried to bring order to chaos saying that those leaving the country or visiting India “don’t need to rush back before Sunday or pay the $100,000 fee”, adding that the fee was “only for new and not current existing holders.”
‘Own wedding trip cancelled’
An individual revealed how a person cancelled their own wedding trip last minute “because they don’t know what to do.”“People who are standing in boarding lines at airports, people who are leaving for their own wedding tomorrow, things like that. They are cancelling because they don’t know what to do,” PTI quoted them saying.Moreover, one said how people have cancelled Diwali plans and December holiday plans because of the move.“People had plans to travel to India for Diwali. They’re all in a flux and not sure what to do. Families book tickets for Diwali, for the December holiday season well in advance. This is the time when most people travel,” they said.“This is the time when people actually want to leave and be with family during the holiday season. Now this has happened. Does that mean that I cannot travel this year? That’s another sense of ‘oh my god’,” they added.
‘Travel ban’
Terming it a “travel ban”, one person questioned the administration over lack of clarity over procedure regarding the move.“This is a travel ban! Even if a person has a valid H-1B visa stamped on their passport, if they are travelling, or are on vacation, you cannot enter the US unless they have proof of the USD 1,00,000 payment. No one knows what the process is, what the fine print is. There’s absolute panic,” PTI quoted the person saying.Citing internal memos by major tech companies, one said, “The biggest question that has come out is that you cannot leave the country.”The memos advised employees against travelling abroad and urged those already outside the US to return before the September 21 deadline, when Trump’s proclamation is set to take effect.“The number one thing that all of the employers are just saying is that if you are inside the country right now, do not leave,” PTI quoted one saying.
‘Who’s next?’
Raising doubts over who could be the new target of Trump’s tightening of immigration rules, one asked, “Will students on F-1 visas or those on L-1 work visas be next.”“What happens to my spouse who’s on a H4 visa, can they travel? None of these things are super clear. Another thing that has caused panic for a lot of people is that when such news comes out, nobody talks about the specifics. Nobody’s able to help,” PTI quoted them saying.
