31 October 2026
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Wedding called off, mother in tears

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Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:26 AM
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Wedding called off, mother in tears
  Bangla Press Desk:  For many Indian H-1B holders in US stuck abroad, Donald Trump’s shock announcement of a $100,000 visa fees -- followed by Big Tech companies instructing employees overseas to return within a day -- sent them scrambling to the nearest airport, abandoning family events and long-planned trips midway. Upset and stressed, a Reddit user 'Saramuch' detailed the struggles faced by her and acquaintances holding H-1B visas who were stuck outside the US, left confused after Big Tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft emailed employees on Saturday, asking them to return by 21 September 21 at 9:31 am IST deadline. "And for those who lacks compassion, shame on you. You didn't had to see my mom crying because she was about to see me for the 1st time in a few months, that we were about to spend a week together for the first time in a few years!," she said. "It’s unfair. We didn’t deserve it. The emotional toll has been immense, with families separated and important occasions missed," the Reddit user said before signing off.
It was only later that the White House clarified that employers wouldn’t be required to pay the exorbitant amount for H-1B holders upon re-entry to the US, bringing relief to many. But by then, the damage was already done. Several other H-1B visa holders described the hours following Trump’s late Friday night announcement as filled with "a crazy sense of panic" and "worry." Many were informed of the changes while waiting to board flights, causing some to abandon plans entirely as Big Tech firms also advised employees with H-1B visas from leaving the US until further notice. Instances include individuals who cancelled trips for their own weddings due to uncertainty. "This is a travel ban! Even if a person has a valid H-1B visa stamped on their passport, if they are travelling, or are on holiday, you cannot enter the US unless they have proof of the $100,000 payment. No one knows what the process is, what the fine print is. There's absolute panic," one person told PTI.
"People who are standing in boarding lines at airports, people who are leaving for their own wedding tomorrow, things like that. They are cancelling because they don't know what to do," another said. The absence of official instructions or clarity regarding Trump's executive order left families in the lurch till the clarification from the Trump administration came later. "People just don't know whether they will be able to come back, what the process will be to get this $100,000 for a company. Nobody knows anything. And getting any clarity on this will not happen anytime soon," one individual told PTI before the clarification was issued by the White House. With a $100,000 fee for new applicants, the American dream may be all but over for Indians, who make up the majority of H-1B visa holders.
"It's just a weird time. It's only been six-seven months of this administration and everything feels just crazy. People are really starting to question if they can continue to build their lives in the US because there's such a high level of uncertainty around everything now," one individual summed it up.  This article was originally published on Daily Sun. [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] BP/SP
[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]

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