Weddings called off, Diwali trips cancelled: How H-1B visa fee hike caused panic among Indians

US President Donald Trump’s move to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 (about Rs 88 lakh) has led to panic and confusion among Indians.

The order, followed by a few Big Tech firms asking employees overseas to return within a day, sent many Indians rushing to airports, missing family events and long-planned trips.

Notably, the $100,000 fee applies only to new applicants registering from September 21 onwards. Existing H-1B holders, including those currently abroad, are exempt and do not have to pay the charges when renewing visas or re-entering the country.

With the US introducing the move, the American dream might remain a dream for many Indians, who are the largest beneficiaries of H-1B visas.

In this explainer, we look at how the order has affected Indians and the massive information technology sector.

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Let’s take a look:

Wedding called off, mother in tears

Many Indian H-1B holders left family events and long-planned trips midway after uncertainty spread following the announcement.

What created further confusion was the delay in the White House’s clarification that current H-1B holders would not be impacted. Until that statement came, panic and chaos gripped Indians.

A Reddit user, ‘Saramuch’, shared her struggles and those of acquaintances holding H-1B visas while stuck outside the US, saying they were left in confusion after tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft told staff through emails to return before September 21.

“And for those who lack compassion, shame on you. You didn’t have to see my mum 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!” she wrote.

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“It’s unfair. We didn’t deserve it. The emotional toll has been immense, with families separated and important occasions missed,” the post read.

Travel plans in ruins

The timing of the decision also clashed with the Durga Puja break and came just weeks ahead of Diwali, a period when many Indian tech professionals usually fly home to celebrate with their families.

Many visa holders told PTI that the main feeling among them and their families was one of “crazy sense of panic” and “worry”.

“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.

“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 said.

Airlines hike fares, Indians step off flight

The rush to return before the deadline caused airfares to soar.

Within hours, one-way tickets from Delhi to New York rose from about Rs 37,000 to nearly Rs 70,000-80,000, while some last-minute tickets touched $4,500.

Non-stop flights from Delhi or Mumbai to New York take around 15 to 16 hours. Since India is about 10 hours ahead of Eastern Time, even travellers leaving on the morning of September 20 (IST) would have landed after the US deadline.

This was before the White House later clarified that current H-1B visa holders would not be affected.

Meanwhile, reports emerged of several Indian passengers disembarking mid-journey at US airports as news of the hike spread.

For instance, an Emirates flight faced hours of delay at San Francisco International Airport when many Indians requested to leave the aircraft.

“An international flight packed with Indians (coming for Durga Puja) from the Bay Area had completed boarding and was due to leave SFO Airport when the news about H-1B visa new rules broke out. Indians aboard panicked, pleaded to get off the plane,” one user posted on X.

An Emirates flight at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was delayed nearly three hours after many passengers, mostly Indian H-1B visa holders, chose to disembark.

The disruption stemmed from reports of a new $100,000 fee for U.S. companies sponsoring H-1B employees.… pic.twitter.com/cDe4eCrpLg

— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) September 21, 2025

Another user said that within 20 minutes of the deadline announcement, around 10 to 15 passengers stepped off.

“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,” a person told PTI.

“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,” another person said.

How India’s IT industry will be impacted

Following the announcement, India’s $283 billion IT industry may have to rethink its long-standing model of sending skilled staff to US projects.

VIDEO | Hyderabad: On US President Donald Trump imposing a USD 100,000 fee per year on H-1B visas, Visa consultant Dilip Kumar Nooney says, "US' H-1B visa fee hike will drastically impact Indian IT companies."

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/N3KMvwVbqo

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 20, 2025

The sector draws about 57 per cent of its total revenue from the US and has depended heavily on American work visa schemes and outsourcing in software and business services.

US government data shows that India was the top recipient of H-1B visas last year, with 71 per cent of the approvals.

With inputs from agencies