Donald Trump’s sudden announcement of a $100,000 visa fee for H-1B visa holders in the US last Friday night has put Indian employees in serious trouble. Major tech companies subsequently ordered their employees abroad to return within a day, forcing many to abandon family gatherings and pending vacations and rush to the airport.
A Reddit user, ‘Saramuch’, affected and stressed by this sudden situation, shared the plight of himself and other H-1B visa holders. He described how major companies like Amazon and Microsoft sent emails to employees on Saturday, asking them to return to the US by 9:31 am on September 21st.
The Reddit user mentioned, “And for those who lack compassion, shame on you. You didn’t have to see my mom crying because she was about to see me for the first time in a few months, that we were about to spend a week together for the first time in a few years!”
The user added, “It’s unfair. We didn’t deserve it. The emotional toll has been immense, with families separated and important occasions missed.”
The White House later clarified that employers would no longer have to pay such a large fee when H-1B visa holders re-entered the US, providing some relief to many. But by then, many important moments had already been missed.
Many other H-1B visa holders described the time following Trump’s late-night announcement as filled with “a crazy sense of panic”.
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