Can Indian IT workers reach US before September 21 H-1B Visa fees deadline?

Can they make it?

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has announced a drastic change in the H-1B visa system, according to which, now the companies will have to pay USD 100,000 (about Rs. 88 lakh) to sponsor an H-1B worker. This was announced by the White House on Friday, September 19. It said that this move is meant to make sure only the most skilled workers are brought to the U.S., especially those who cannot easily be replaced by American employees.

Advertising

Advertising

New rule causes big commotion

This new rule for H-1B visa holders has caused a big commotion in the global tech community, particularly affecting Indian IT professionals. The biggest names among the US tech companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and several others, have issued urgent advisories asking employees on H-1B visas to return to the United States no later than September 21, 12:01 AM ET (9:30 AM IST).

Can they reach USA before deadline?

This was done to ensure that employers could sponsor employees before the USD 100,000 visa fee comes into effect. However, for thousands of tech workers in India, reaching the USA before the deadline is practically impossible. This was demonstrated in a survey of flights from major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to the United States. The survey shows that even the earliest available flights would arrive after the September 21 deadline. Travel booking platforms such as Paytm and MakeMyTrip show that flights include at least one stopover, with total travel times ranging from 19 to 21 hours for the fastest routes.

Practically impossible

The number of nonstop flights is very small, and passengers must have boarded as early as the evening of September 19 to reach the US before the deadline.

The AI tools examining time zones and flight durations say that the prospects of reaching the USA before or on the deadline are zero. It is due to factors like the time difference between India and the United States and flight duration.

Indian IT professionals constitute more than 70% of H-1B visa holders, and they are the ones who will be severely affected. The employees who are in India at the moment, for whatever reason, are under severe pressure. They have to decide whether to pay the $100,000 fee for their visa sponsorship or risk being unable to return to the US, risking their jobs and careers.

HIGHLIGHTS

• US President Donald Trump has announced a drastic change in the H-1B visa system.
• According to the new H-1B visa system, the companies will have to pay USD 100,000 (about Rs. 88 lakh) to sponsor an H-1B worker.
• The White House said that this move is meant to make sure only the most skilled workers are brought to the U.S.
• This new rule has caused a big commotion in the global tech community.

This was done to ensure that employers could sponsor employees before the USD 100,000 visa fee comes into effect. However, for thousands of tech workers in India, reaching the USA before the deadline is practically impossible.