Amazon, Google and Microsoft have been forced to send emergency internal communications to their employees with H-1B visas, and they are recommending that they return to the country as soon as possible… If you are wondering why, it is because at midnight on September 21 a new restriction came into effect that will prevent them from reentering the country if they have not paid 100,000 dollars for each visa petition.
And although the White House assures that current holders are not subject to immediate payment, nobody wants to take the risk, which has caused employees to be trapped outside and entire families with H-4 visas in the same situation inside the country… What is going on?
New restrictions on the H-1B visa
Since September 21 there is a new reentry regime, those who are outside the country will not be able to come back in without paying an exorbitant fee of $100,000… The measure was included in a Presidential Proclamation (and someone thought it was a good idea…) and of course it has generated confusion and nervousness because the notices arrived with very few hours of margin and nothing is clear, not even the legal interpretations. It is supposed that this measure should not affect those who already have their visa active, but companies fear that it could be applied at border controls…
Reaction from Amazon, Google and Microsoft
Amazon asked its workers with H-1B and H-4 not to leave the country and that, if they are outside, to return immediately, because maybe if they do not return now, they might not be able to come back later, staying trapped abroad.
Google was even more direct, requesting its workers to return before midnight on September 21 or there was no guarantee that they would be able to come back. It also recommended to those already inside the country to freeze any international travel until further notice.
Microsoft confirmed the measure and set up an individual assistance system for its employees. It also clarified that, for the moment, it does not affect other types of visas or renewals inside the country.
What it means for the workers
This change is something that goes beyond a bureaucratic procedure, thousands of engineers, programmers and specialists who sustain innovation in our country could see their professional and personal future in danger. The companies fear losing key talent if their employees remain trapped outside…
The United States, which always boasted of attracting the best international talent, now projects uncertainty and chaos, and that is an advantage that other countries will not hesitate to take…
The official version
From the White House, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt assured that those who already have an H-1B visa will not have to pay anything and will be able to travel as always. But these statements have not been enough to reassure the companies, who prefer to prevent rather than have part of their staff blocked in foreign airports…
Talent on the tightrope
The H-1B is the backbone of labor migration in the United States, and this move puts it in uncertain territory, whoever comes to work, comes to work and produce in our country, they should not be subject to these changes…
While Amazon, Google and Microsoft try to protect their own, thousands of families live with uncertainty and the impossibility of traveling abroad for fear of not being able to set foot again on U.S. soil…
What should be a clear and secure immigration policy has turned into a minefield that threatens the stability of an entire sector. A reminder that, in technology, the greatest asset is not the servers or the offices: it is the people.
To be clear:
1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.
2.) Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter.
H-1B visa holders can leave and re-enter the…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) September 20, 2025