President Donald Trump’s decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 and impose a tight September 21 deadline resulted in widespread chaos at US airports. Many Indian tech workers reportedly chose to leave flights shortly after the policy change. This period also aligned with the Durga Puja festival, a time when many Indians in the US travel back to India. Simultaneously, Indians in India experienced a dramatic increase in direct flight fares to the United States, as airlines capitalized on the situation. The regulations mandated that H-1B visa holders had to enter the US by September 21 at 12:01 am EDT (9:31 am IST) to avoid the new fee. One-way tickets from New Delhi to New York’s JFK Airport escalated from approximately Rs 37,000 to Rs 70,000-80,000 within a few hours after Trump’s announcement. The impact of these changes was readily apparent at US airports, where numerous passengers disembarked from flights. Social media also documented the disruption.
H-1B Visa Fee Increase Leads to Airport Disruptions and Flight Price Surge
By The Chhattisgarh1 Min Read