Corporations also advised H-4 dependents — spouses and children of H-1B holders—to remain in the US as a precaution. Meta, JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and other multinational firms similarly urged their employees and dependents to return without delay.
Hyderabad: With the Trump administration introducing sweeping changes to the H-1B visa programme, adding a steep $1,00,000 fee for every entrant and setting a tight effective date of September 21, multinational corporations scrambled to get their H-1B employees back into the United States before the deadline.
With less than 24 hours before the rules take effect, companies instructed employees currently outside the US to return immediately. Microsoft, the third-largest employer of H-1B visa holders in the US, issued an urgent advisory.
“If you are in H-1B or H-4 status and are currently outside the US, we strongly recommend that you do what you can to return tomorrow before the deadline. The proclamation was released within the last 30 minutes, so we realise there isn’t much time to make sudden travel arrangements. But again, we strongly encourage you to do your best to return,” read a message from Jack Chen, Microsoft’s associate general counsel for US Immigration.
Corporations also advised H-4 dependents — spouses and children of H-1B holders—to remain in the US as a precaution. Meta, JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and other multinational firms similarly urged their employees and dependents to return without delay.
“I got a message from my company saying, ‘Please plan your travel and immediately return to the United States; you may not be allowed back after the fee rule applies,’” said Ramesh Chandra, a Hyderabad-based engineer working in Dallas with an MNC.
“The environment has completely changed in my office. Almost everyone is panicking about their future, including me. I don’t know what will happen, but I am preparing myself to leave the US if things get worse,” he added.
Companies have also told H-1B holders already in the US to avoid international travel. “We know this may interfere with your plans, but the critical thing is to stay in the US to avoid being denied re-entry,” Microsoft’s message cautioned.
