Indians on H-1B visas cancel Diwali journey, wedding ceremony plans as panic triggers amid price hike

Widespread panic, confusion and concern gripped Indians within the US on H-1B visas on Saturday hours after US President Donald Trump’s order to impose a staggering USD 1,00,000 price on the work visas, with many cancelling their plans to journey to India.

While many cancelled plans to journey on the final minute whereas ready to board flights to India, a number of others already in India are scrambling to return amid lack of readability after Trump on Friday signed a proclamation to boost the H-1B visa charges, weeks earlier than Indian professionals and their households journey to India for Diwali and different year-end holidays.

Individuals on H-1B visas in addition to these within the US monitoring the information spoke to PTI on situation of anonymity and careworn that the underlying emotion amongst H-1B visa holders and their households proper now’s that of “a crazy sense of panic” and “worry.”

There are cases the place individuals have cancelled their journey plans as they have been ready in line to board their flights to India throughout US airports on Friday, the second information got here by way of of Trump’s proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ to raise the H-1B visa fee to USD 1,00,000 annually.

An individual told PTI about a person who was to travel to India for their own wedding and who has now cancelled plans amid the uncertainty this proclamation has triggered.

“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,” one of many people stated.

“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,” one other particular person stated.

There can also be confusion round the truth that if individuals have an H-1B stamped and are presently residing within the US, “what does that mean for me?”

“The biggest question that has come out is that you cannot leave the country,” one particular person stated, citing the interior memos that main tech corporations have issued to their workers.

These memos urged their workers to not journey exterior the US or to return instantly earlier than the September 21 deadline when Trump’s proclamation comes into impact.

“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,” one other particular person stated. “Those already outside the US are figuring out how to come back like today. Most people are scrambling to return to the US,” one other particular person stated.

“Even then, people just don’t know whether they will be able to come back, what the process will be to get this USD 1,00,000 for a company. Nobody knows anything. And getting any clarity on this will not happen anytime soon,” the person added.

The individuals PTI spoke with additionally pointed to the timing of the proclamation, coming simply weeks earlier than Indian professionals and their households journey to India for Diwali and different year-end holidays.

“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 stated.

While there could also be exceptions to the proclamation or courts might put a maintain on the order, there may be little readability as to what that may entail, one other particular person on a piece visa stated. “We don’t know any of that. In the current state, there’s a sense of panic. People have come to realise that they cannot travel.”

The individuals PTI spoke to additionally pointed to the bigger sentiment that this proclamation has unearthed.

People have been beneath stress for this complete yr with so many modifications, not understanding what is going to occur, now the H-1B associated proclamation has added one other layer of uncertainty, and no one appears to know the place that is headed.

There are so many questions on who’s subsequent? “Will students on F1 visas or those on L1 work visas be next,” the individuals requested.

“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,” they added.

An individual identified that individuals had come to simply accept the truth that they won’t get Green Cards within the US within the foreseeable future because the wait time for H-1B visa holders from India is decades-long. “But at least they could live and work in the US on the visas, which could be extended. But now, with this travel ban, there is a sense of what will happen to dependents of H1B visa holders, their children. What else should I be prepared for?” they stated.

“It’s just a weird time. It’s only been six-seven months of this administration and everything feels just crazy. People are really starting to question if they can continue to build their lives in the US because there’s such a high level of uncertainty around everything now,” one of many individuals stated.