Indians whose H-1B visas are about to expire are worried.
Indians are concerned that if the visa regulations continue to change at this rate, US companies may not be as eager to keep them as they once were.
An Indian, who was meant to travel to Calcutta to see his parents, has cancelled the trip and is not certain when he will feel safe enough to visit them.
“Many Indians like me who are working and have H1-B visas are feeling panicked. We don’t know what awaits us next,” the man in his late 30s, who works for a US company in Colorado, told Metro on Sunday.
“There is an increasing feeling among us that the US administration is trying to find loopholes in our visas to reject those and send us back,” said the man whose daughter studies in the second grade. “Many of us have children who are studying in schools. Our lives will be jeopardised if we have to move from one country to another,” he said.
The man has been working in the US with an H-1B visa for the last 10 years.
On Sunday, this newspaper reported that numerous H-1B visa holders from Calcutta hurried to secure air tickets back to the United States after the Donald Trump administration imposed a midnight deadline on Saturday for reforming the visa program.
On Sunday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made some clarifications on X, saying the $1,00,000 charge was a one-time fee and not required for renewal.
“1. This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.
2. Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $1,00,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the country to the same extent as they normally would; whatever ability they have to do that is not impacted by yesterday’s proclamation.
3. This applies to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders. It will first apply in the next upcoming lottery cycle,” said the post.
However, many Indians with H-1B visas are not feeling comforted by the statement.
“We are worried that the pace at which this government is changing visa norms for Indians, anything can happen,” said the man from Colorado.
He said one of his friends is worried because his H1-B visa is going to expire in a few months. “He is very worried. If the visa is not renewed, he will have to leave the country and his job. My friend has two daughters,” he said.
The man had planned a visit to Calcutta last June and had bought flight tickets for three of them. “I cancelled the tickets worth ₹3.57 lakh. I have yet to get the refund. One of the reasons I cancelled was the visa issue,” he said.
“While returning, if there is a delay in getting the visa stamped in India, then I would have been facing trouble,” said the man whose visa is valid till 2028.
Not only employees, but those studying in the US, are worried that their plans could be jeopardised.
“There are so many new rules and changes so often that it is difficult to make plans,” said a 29-year-old man in his last year of a PhD in Chicago. His doctorate is in quantum computing.
“The new rule will impact people like us in the long run. We are supposed to get a three-year buffer to work in the US, after which I would have to apply for an H-1B visa if I continue to work in the US. This country has some of the best universities and places to work in, but increasingly it is becoming difficult to stay in the US,” the man told Metro from Chicago on Sunday.
A woman working in New York is scheduled to fly to Calcutta in October. But she is rethinking now.
“The worst part is they are giving very little time after they make an announcement,” said the father of the woman.
“Rules are changing so frequently that people are getting anxious. In fact, yesterday, when we heard about the enhanced fees for the H-1B visa, we were worried about our daughter’s visit to Calcutta for Diwali. She might come to Calcutta easily, but we are worried about what if there are barriers when she returns to the US,” said the girl’s father in Calcutta. The woman’s visa was renewed early this year.
Another mother whose daughter is working in the US capital said the uncertainty of working in the US is rising each passing day. “There is a lot of fear and uncertainty, and people are being very watchful and mindful of what they say and do,” said the mother.