Tech giants warn H-1B staff to avoid travel

New Delhi, Sep 20: After US President Donald Trump announced sweeping changes to the H-1B visa programme – including a steep hike in the annual visa fee to USD 100,000 - leading American companies have urged their foreign employees to remain in the country and avoid travel.

According to The Hindustan Times, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and JP Morgan have issued internal advisories directing H-1B workers abroad to return to the United States before the September 21 deadline, when the new rules take effect.

“We strongly recommend that H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US at the earliest to avoid being denied re-entry,” Microsoft told its employees. Amazon and JP Morgan have also advised staff not to travel outside the US “until further notice,” while Meta instructed those currently abroad to fly back within 24 hours, reports The Hindustan Times. Under the revised rules, entry will be denied to H-1B workers unless employers pay the hefty new fee. The Department of Homeland Security has also been directed to give preference to higher-paid applicants, while the Department of Labor will revise wage levels upward. Limited exemptions for businesses and sectors deemed to be in the “national interest” are expected, though detailed guidelines are still awaited.