H1B visa fiasco and the Trump challenge

Indian holders of H1B visas were left baffled by events over the weekend in the White House.

- Ashwin Ahmad

President Trump signed a proclamation on Friday stating that the fee for the HIB visa programme had shot up from a reported $2,000-5,000 to $100,000. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick then said that the fee would be an annual cost and valid for existing HIB visa holders as well. Lutnick’s statement was enough to panic Indians, as social media images showed Indian passengers deplaning an Emirates flight due to take off from San Francisco on hearing the news.

The drama was not yet over. On Saturday night, US time, and Sunday morning, Indian time, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued on X what was Washington's final position on the matter. Contradicting Lutnick, she said that the fee was “not an annual fee. It’s a onetime fee that applies only to the petition.” Leavitt then added that the fee would apply only to “new visas, not renewals and not current visa holders.”