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Amazon Urges H-1B Employees to Return Before $100,000 Visa Fee Hits (What the New Rule Means for Tech Workers)

Amazon just put out an urgent notice to its H-1B and H-4 visa employees: Stay in the United States, or get back as soon as possible. The reason is raising alarm for thousands of skilled workers and their families. The Trump administration just approved an annual $100,000 fee for every H-1B visa worker in the country, a massive jump from the usual cost.

This move puts a huge burden on tech giants and employees, especially Indian professionals who make up a large part of the talent pool. Amazon’s advisory shows how serious and fast-moving this rule change is. As companies scramble to figure out next steps, skilled workers across the U.S. are watching closely and feeling the pressure.

Watch the news unfold: Trump Adds $100,000 Fee to H-1B Visa Applications | WSJ News

What Is Happening With H-1B Visas Right Now?

The H-1B visa system is facing a seismic change that is shaking up tech giants and putting immigrant workers on alert. As of September 21, 2025, a new executive order is set to make every H-1B visa worker in the US much more expensive for employers. The rule brings urgency for thousands of families, especially those working at trailblazing companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and JPMorgan. Let’s break down what’s at stake and why the stakes are higher than ever.

What Is the H-1B Visa and Who Holds It?

The H-1B visa allows companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals in fields where US talent is hard to find. You’ll find H-1B holders in tech, finance, engineering, and healthcare, but Silicon Valley and Wall Street lean on them most. These workers often come from India and China, filling roles that drive innovation and keep the US economy humming.

• H-1B visas are capped each year, so demand is fierce.
• Employees’ spouses and kids often come with them, usually on H-4 visas.
• These visa holders are vital for companies competing in a world where top talent decides who leads and who lags.

Trump’s New $100,000 Fee: What Changed?

On September 19, 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order transforming the H-1B landscape. Starting September 21, 2025, employers must pay an eye-popping annual $100,000 fee for every H-1B worker on staff.

• The new fee is not a one-time payment. It recurs every year, multiplying costs for companies with hundreds or thousands of H-1B employees.
• Big tech firms like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and finance powerhouses like JPMorgan will feel the pressure the most.
• The stated goal? Curtail what the administration sees as overuse of the visa and “protect” American jobs.

Multiple news outlets confirm the new rules and fees, with a breakdown of key details reported by Reuters and echoed across leading publishers like The Guardian.

Here’s a quick look at what’s changing:

H-4 dependents often rely on the main H-1B holder’s status, so families have reason to worry.

How Are Companies Like Amazon, Microsoft, and JPMorgan Responding?

Corporate America pivoted fast. Amazon, which employs the most H-1B workers by far, immediately sent urgent guidance to employees: Do not leave the US unless absolutely necessary. The travel warning is clear—being outside the US could disrupt work authorizations or re-entry, especially as companies scramble to adjust their budgets and strategies. Microsoft and JPMorgan have delivered similar messages, making it clear the ripple effects are real and personal.

You can read details on company reactions in this report from India Today.

• Large employers might need to rethink who gets sponsored and who doesn’t.
• Lengthy travel outside the US could put employees at risk of losing their job or their status.

For all H-1B and H-4 holders, the future suddenly looks less stable. Families are calling lawyers, employers are weighing costs, and communities built around the visa are holding their breath.

How Does This Affect Work and Travel for H-1B and H-4 Holders?

This rule puts every trip and transfer under a microscope. Here’s what most workers and families are dealing with:

• Change in travel plans: Leaving the US and re-entering could mean hurdles with new paperwork or unexpected costs.
• Work arrangements: Employees may have to avoid moves between offices or projects that would change their visa status.
• Family impact: Spouses and children on H-4 visas depend on the main H-1B worker’s continued status and job.

For Indian tech professionals, who make up a bulk of the H-1B pool, the Hindustan Times has highlighted just how quickly plans and lives are shifting due to the new order.

Employers are moving to freeze or limit international assignments and advising against overseas trips. The stress level is sky-high—and the coming months will no doubt reshape the H-1B system families have depended on for years.

How Amazon and Other Tech Giants Responded

The new $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee has sent a shockwave through America’s biggest tech employers. Within hours of the announcement, Amazon urged its H-1B and H-4 workers to come back to the United States right away or avoid any travel abroad. Microsoft and JPMorgan followed with similar warnings to their staff. These internal advisories weren’t just formal memos but urgent calls, spelling out real and immediate risks for employees and their families. If you think this only affects Amazon, think again—the entire tech industry is scrambling to adapt to the new reality.

Why the Urgency?

Amazon’s internal note didn’t mince words. H-1B and H-4 holders got clear advice: if you’re outside the US, return before midnight Eastern Time, September 21. If you’re here, stay put—unless you’re prepared to face steep risks.

Why the rush? It comes down to a few dangerous possibilities:

• Denial of Entry: Employees who travel abroad and try to re-enter after September 21 might be blocked at the border or required to pay the enormous new fee.
• Job Security: If an employee is not physically present in the US when the rule kicks in, renewal or ongoing work status could be jeopardized. For some, this could threaten their entire career path.
• Family Consequences: H-4 dependents (spouses, children) risk being stranded overseas or separated if the main H-1B holder’s status lapses. This isn’t just paperwork—it’s families splitting up, kids missing school, and months of heartache.

The costs aren’t just measured in dollars. Changing a return ticket last-minute, paying for immigration lawyers, or covering penalties add up fast. Many families now face a tough decision—miss major life events back home or risk losing their shot at a stable future in America.

Amazon, Microsoft, JPMorgan, Meta, and other industry leaders all agree: the window is closing. According to the Hindustan Times, their advisories urge H-1B and H-4 visa holders to “return to the US before 12:00 am EDT Sept 21.” The Economic Times further explains how these tech giants are pushing employees to act now, not later.

Here’s what employees are weighing:

• Canceling weddings, reunions, and vital family visits
• Paying extra to change flights at the last minute
• Planning for months or years without seeing loved ones abroad
• Wondering if a short trip could mean losing their job or getting stuck outside the US

These new rules have made every travel plan a high-stakes gamble. If you’re working in US tech on an H-1B or H-4 visa, even a vacation now looks risky. It’s a tense, confusing moment, and companies aren’t taking chances—neither should their workers.

For a real-time recap with more details on which companies are hardest hit, see this summary from The Economic Times.

Why the $100,000 Fee Matters and Who Is Hit Hardest

The $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee has electrified the job market overnight. This is not a routine policy tweak or some small bump in expenses. For tech companies and global talent, the new rule is more like a tidal wave, not a ripple. Let’s break down why this fee strikes at the heart of the H-1B system, what the government says about it, and who will feel the hit the hardest.

Why Did the Trump Administration Choose a $100,000 Fee?

President Trump’s advisors say the purpose of this giant fee is simple: limit companies’ use of foreign skilled workers and boost American hiring. According to statements from the administration, this massive jump in cost is meant to “discourage overreliance on H-1B visas” and shift opportunity to American workers. Officials claim that by making foreign hires so expensive, companies will finally pick from the US labor pool. They compare it to recalibrating the rules so American wages and opportunities come first.

You can find more on the government’s stated reasons in the latest story from The New York Times on the H-1B fee decision.

• The administration argues this fee will fill US jobs with Americans.
• Supporters see it as a “reset” for decades of visa dependence in tech and finance.
• Critics say the real risk is weakening US innovation and global competitiveness.

How Does the Fee Compare to Current H-1B Costs?

Put today’s fee side by side with the new rule and you’ll see why everyone is talking. Until this change, most H-1B employers paid a mix of one-time government fees, legal costs, and small annual compliance charges. In practice, total government payments averaged $1,700–$6,500 per H-1B worker for standard petitions. Some rare cases for very large companies, like those hiring heavy numbers, faced a few additional charges, but nowhere close to six digits per worker.

Here’s a look at the difference:

That’s more than a 50-fold increase for each H-1B, and the extra cost repeats every single year the worker remains on payroll.

Insights and numbers available from Reuters on the $100,000 H-1B cost spike.

Who Is Hit Hardest by the $100,000 H-1B Fee?

The pain of this new rule is not spread evenly. Yes, every company and H-1B worker will feel pressure, but the biggest impact lands on Indian and Chinese professionals and the tech companies that depend on them.

Here’s why:

• Indian and Chinese nationals make up the majority of H-1B visa holders. They fill in-demand roles in software engineering, IT, banking, and science, often at leading tech companies.
• Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Google employ thousands of H-1B workers each. Every $100,000 fee multiplies across huge headcounts, sending costs into the billions.
• Smaller tech firms, startups, and research labs depend on specialized skills found overseas. They simply can’t absorb a six-figure annual charge per worker.
• Families on H-4 visas (spouses and kids) are at risk, too. Their legal status depends on the H-1B worker’s job, so if that job disappears, so can their future.

A table of who gets hit hardest:

For a closer look at which tech companies have the most to lose, check this Economic Times breakdown of hardest-hit firms.

The Weight Is Crushing for Some, Manageable for Few

The largest corporations have resources, but even giants can only take so many financial hits before they change hiring strategies. Smaller companies, with tighter budgets, will stand at a breaking point: hire Americans only, or stop growing at all. For workers from India and China, it’s as if the ground shifted overnight—suddenly, the pathway to a US job is tangled in far more red tape and risk.

The new H-1B policy isn’t just about money; it’s about who gets a chance to work, learn, and build a future in America.

Conclusion

Stress and confusion are running high as companies and skilled workers scramble to keep up with this new rule. One executive order has upended the plans of thousands and put the future of the American tech industry in sharp focus. Big employers like Amazon are sounding the alarm because the risks are real, the stakes are high, and the pressure is growing every day.

How the U.S. handles work visas will shape who builds its next wave of innovation. Anyone affected should stay connected to official updates, check with their HR or immigration advisor, and make travel choices carefully. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts—this is a story everyone in tech and global business should be watching closely.