Visa Holders Face Confusion Over Sudden Regulatory Changes
Bloomberg reported on September 21 (local time) that the Donald Trump administration has decided to raise the 'specialty occupation visa (H-1B)' fee to $100,000 per person, prompting major technology companies to urge employees holding these visas to remain in the United States.
Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and other companies sent emails to their employees, instructing them to return to the United States and cancel any planned departures before the new visa regulations announced by the Trump administration on September 19 take effect.
Following the announcement of the new regulations, controversy grew, and the White House clarified that the sharply increased fee would apply only to new visas and would not affect the entry or exit of current visa holders. However, Bloomberg reported that uncertainty over the application and enforcement of the new policy has led to confusion and anxiety among companies.
Microsoft informed its H-1B visa employees on September 19, after the Trump administration's announcement, that they should "remain in the United States for the time being." In a follow-up email, Microsoft told employees that the White House's explanation "should ensure the return of colleagues currently overseas for important personal reasons," but also warned that "there may be some confusion at entry points in the coming days."
Visa holders are reportedly confused by the sudden regulatory changes. Lawrence, a 34-year-old who had relocated from the United Kingdom to the San Francisco Bay Area to start a new engineering job, had already completed his move at the time the executive order was signed. However, he said that the company's immigration lawyers advised him to "stay in the UK and wait for further information." A Google employee also canceled a planned trip to Tokyo to visit family after the White House announcement, and Amazon recommended that holders of H-4 visas-issued to spouses and children of H-1B holders-also remain in the United States.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) database, Amazon received the highest number of H-1B visa allocations for fiscal year 2025 as of June 30, with a total of 10,044 recipients. Tata Consultancy, an information technology (IT) services and consulting company headquartered in Mumbai, India, was second with 5,505, followed by Microsoft with 5,189, Meta with 5,123, Apple with 4,202, and Google with 4,181.
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