I spent $8,000 to get back to US after Trump visa deadline

September 21, 2025

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on new applications for the H-1B visa program, which caused panic among visa holders temporarily outside the US before the White House clarified that current holders would not be affected. Software professional Rohan Mehta spent over $8,000 frantically booking flights to return to the US from India before the deadline, fearing he would be unable to return to his home of 11 years. The order targets the skilled foreign worker visa program predominantly used by Indians, who constitute more than 70% of the 85,000 visas issued annually.

Who is affected

Current H-1B visa holders who were temporarily outside the US
Indian skilled workers (who make up over 70% of H-1B visa recipients)
Families of visa holders like Rohan Mehta's wife and daughter
Major employers of H-1B visa holders, including Amazon, Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google
Potential new H-1B visa applicants who will face the $100,000 fee

What action is being taken

The White House is clarifying details of the executive order through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
Immigration lawyers are actively advising their clients and trying to understand the implications of the order
H-1B visa holders abroad are returning to the US urgently to avoid potential complications
Companies are advising their H-1B employees who were outside the US to return before the order took effect

Why it matters

The fee represents a dramatic increase (more than 60 times the current amount)
Many H-1B holders have lived in the US for decades and have established their lives there
The program is crucial for tech giants and other companies to recruit specialized workers
The confusion caused significant financial hardship and emotional distress for visa holders like Mehta who described the experience as "traumatic"
It creates uncertainty for long-term residents who may now feel unwelcome despite years of contributing to the US economy

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC