NRIs deboard India-bound Emirates flight after Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee order

According to eyewitness videos shared on social media, panic gripped the cabin as confused passengers stood in the aisles, scrolling through their phones, while others opted to get off the aircraft.

The incident resulted in a three-hour delay before the flight finally departed.

In one clip, the Emirates captain could be heard addressing the situation: “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the captain speaking. Due to the current circumstances, obviously, that are unprecedented for us here at Emirates, we are aware that a number of passengers do not wish to travel with us, and that’s perfectly fine. All we ask is that if you wish to offload yourself, you do so.”

Tech companies urge visa holders to stay put

Following the announcement, major tech firms Meta and Microsoft issued urgent advisories to their H-1B visa holders. Internal emails accessed by NDTV Profit showed that employees were instructed not to leave the US for at least 14 days until the policy was clarified.

Meta urged H-1B and H4 visa holders to remain in the US for two weeks and advised those abroad to return within 24 hours.

Microsoft “strongly” advised employees to stay put in the US and told those outside to “do best to return immediately.”

White House clarification

Facing widespread panic and pushback from the tech industry, the White House issued a clarification on Saturday.

“This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a social media post.

President Trump defended the move, arguing that the H-1B program was originally designed to bring in temporary high-skilled workers, but had been “deliberately exploited” to replace American workers with “lower-paid, lower-skilled labour.”

The sudden policy shift has rattled the Indian diaspora, as Indians account for nearly three-fourths of all H-1B visas issued annually.