Rohan Mehta, an information technology professional, has lived in the United States for more than 10 years. That was the challenge that awaited him earlier this month after Paul had made the long trip to Nagpur, India. He returned to India to commemorate his father’s death with relatives but soon found himself racing against time due to a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The order creates a new extreme financial barrier of $100,000 on H-1B visa applicants who seek to work in the U.S. This burdensome fee has caused concern among the foreign workers and their sponsors.
Through the H-1B visa program, the United States provides pathways for highly skilled professionals from other countries to fill critical, specialized positions in the U.S. This has handsomely rewarded shareholders, particularly in the high-tech industry. In the previous fiscal year, major corporations such as Amazon, Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google were among the top beneficiaries of this program. Over 70% of the 85,000 H-1B visas allotted each year wind up in the hands of Indian workers. This reality solidifies them as the biggest collective bunch of receivers.
Faced with an awful lot of unknowns regarding the new fee, Mehta moved heaven and earth to get back to the U.S. before the deadline loomed. In the end, he booked more than $8,000 worth of fares, booking several possibilities on the same day to cover any potential delay.
I made multiple reservations as the majority of them were landing extremely close, Mehta explained. Worse, even if they were indeed just a tad slow returning, I would’ve still missed the deadline.
To be fair, the White House did make it clear that the $100,000 fee would only fall on new applicants. Current visa holders will only be impacted when they attempt to re-enter the U.S. Individuals who already have H-1B visas and are presently outside the country will avoid this fee upon return. Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Assistant to the President from the White House, on H-1B visa holders. This even applies to folks who are currently outside of the U.S. H-1B visa holders can travel back and forth from the U.S. as much as they typically would, no more and no less.
Even with all this reassurance, Mehta said he was very upset that he had to shorten his trip. For the second part of his trip, he boarded a Virgin Atlantic flight from Mumbai to John F. Kennedy International Airport. His biggest worry was that he wouldn’t make it back home if he didn’t move quickly.
I’m wondering if I made a terrible mistake with all the choices that led me here. I spent my early adult years in the military fighting for this great country. Now I am the one with the bitter-to-common feelings of being unwanted and unappreciated. He said, reflecting on his tumultuous situation.
The politically-charged atmosphere surrounding the upcoming deadline has raised fears, if not panic, among H-1B visa holders and their families. Many individuals and immigration lawyers had already advised those outside the U.S. to return promptly before the fee came into effect. Mehta’s family never left the U.S. This reality increased his fear of upending their newly settled lives should he fail to return.
My daughter hasn’t known any other home, and she’s spent half of her life in the U.S. Now, my biggest challenge is going to be tearing myself away from my life and starting again in India. Mehta lamented.
Mehta is steering the agency through a tumultuous time. His experience underscores the incredible pressure skilled foreign workers in the U.S. experience as they are forced to choose between personal commitments and shifting immigration landscapes.