The Trump administration recently announced that a one-time $100,000 fee would now be incurred for H-1B visa applications. The H-1B visa program was created to bring highly skilled foreign workers with “specialty occupations” into the United States. This move will heavily affect South Asian workers who are currently in the US and those who are all set to fly to the United States with work permits, several news agencies have stated.
A wave of panic and confusion has spread through Indian communities and the global tech industry, following US President Donald Trump’s surprise order imposing a $100,000 fee for the H-1B visa, impacting the largest group of beneficiaries of the skilled-worker program, reports CNN.
The initial announcement on Friday ignited immediate and widespread confusion, culminating in chaotic scenes like the one aboard an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai. The plane was stuck on the tarmac for three hours as H-1B holders scrambled to understand if they would be able to re-enter the country.
Video of the incident verified by CNN appears to show the captain attempting to calm the nerves of worried passengers on board.
A wave of panic and confusion has spread through Indian communities and the global tech industry, following US President Donald Trump’s surprise order imposing a $100,000 fee for the H-1B visa which impacts the largest group of beneficiaries of the skilled-worker program.
The initial announcement on Friday ignited immediate and widespread confusion, culminating in chaotic scenes like the one aboard an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai. The plane was stuck on the tarmac for three hours as H-1B holders scrambled to understand if they would be able to re-enter the country.
Video of the incident verified by CNN appears to show the captain attempting to calm the nerves of worried passengers on board.
“Due to the current circumstances, obviously they’re unprecedented for us here at Emirates,” he can be heard saying over the speaker of the plane as confused passengers check their phones. “We are aware that a number of passengers do not wish to travel with us. That’s perfectly fine.”
CNN has contacted Emirates for a response.
Masud Rana, who was on the flight and filmed the video, called the situation “complete chaos,” in an Instagram post, adding it created “panic among many – particularly Indian passengers – who even chose to leave the aircraft.”
It is vital that the public sound the alarm and recognize how policies that are being marketed as beneficial to the U.S. contribute to a wider culture of hate that ends up hurting us all.
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