According to an order issued by US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time), H-1B visa holders will be prevented from entering the US from Sunday (21 September), until his employer has paid an annual fee of US $ 1 lakh (about Rs 88 lakh) for each employee.
Under this order, this visa entry restriction and fee rule will apply to both new and existing H-1B visa holders. For the new H-1-1B visa or H-1B expansion, payment of $ 1 lakh will be required and after that it will be mandatory to pay this fee every year.
The period of ban has been told that this rule will remain in force for 12 months, but it can be extended on the recommendation of federal immigration agencies. If it is extended, this ban will continue for FY 2027 H-1B cap petition approved foreign employees.
Both companies and employees may have heavy
This step may have a huge impact to both companies and employees. The Trump administration has instructed companies to pay 1 million dollars of annual fee for every H-1B employee. This increased fee has been applied to prevent the systematic misuse of the H-1B program. Earlier this administrative fee was only $ 1,500. This new order can create instability in Big Tech companies and employees are being advised to stay in America or return early.
Its effect on Indian employees can be deeper. According to the USCIS data, around 4 lakh H-1B visas issued between October 2022 and September 2023 are 72% Indians. New York-based Immigration Advocate Cyrus Mehta has warned that many H-1B holders present in India will not be able to reach America till the time limit (September 21 midnight), as it is not possible to reach on time from direct flight. He said that H-1B holders may be trapped out of America on business or holiday if they do not reach America in time.
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