Many H-1B visa holders scrambled to return to the US due to confusion surrounding a new $100,000 fee for the skilled foreign worker visa program, initially fearing it would apply to current visa holders returning from abroad.

• Rohan Mehta, a software professional, spent over $8,000 (£5,900) on flights to return to the US from India, cutting short his trip due to the perceived deadline.
• The new $100,000 (£74,000) fee, signed by President Donald Trump, was later clarified by the White House to apply only to new visa applications and not to current visa holders or renewals.
• India-based workers receive over 70% of the 85,000 H-1B visas issued annually, and companies like Amazon, Tata, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google are major beneficiaries of the program.