A sudden increase in the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 by US President Donald Trump, coupled with a strict September 21 deadline, caused significant disruption at US airports. Reports indicate that numerous Indian tech professionals disembarked from flights immediately following the announcement. This timeframe coincided with many Indians in the US returning home for Durga Puja. Furthermore, the cost of direct flights from India to the US saw a sharp increase, as airlines adjusted to the chaos generated by the new regulations. The rules stipulated that H-1B visa holders needed to enter the US before September 21 at 12:01 am EDT (9:31 am IST), or their sponsoring employers would need to pay the elevated fee. Consequently, one-way tickets from New Delhi to New York’s JFK Airport surged, with prices nearly doubling in just hours after Trump’s announcement. The impact was also observed at US airports, with many travelers choosing to exit flights.
