Reference News Network September 23 report: According to Reuters on September 21, in line with his broad campaign against immigration, US President Trump imposed new visa fees. This forced H-1B visa holders from countries such as India to abandon their travel plans and hurriedly return to the United States, with panic, confusion, and anger prevailing in the US.

Several Indian citizens returning to San Francisco Airport expressed that they had shortened their vacations due to concerns that once the new regulations took effect, they would not be allowed to return to the US.

An engineer working at a large technology company said, "We had to choose between returning to our families and staying here." His wife had already boarded an Emirates Airlines flight from San Francisco to Dubai, scheduled to depart at 5:05 p.m. local time on the 19th.

The person, who did not want to reveal their name, said several Indian passengers received word from their employers to cancel their trips, causing the flight to be delayed for more than three hours. The engineer said at least five passengers were eventually allowed to disembark.

Videos of the incident reportedly circulated on social media, showing several people leaving the plane.

The engineer's wife is also an H-1B visa holder, and she chose to go to India to care for her sick mother.

He told this reporter, "It's really tragic. We've built a life here."

Companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Goldman Sachs sent emergency emails to their employees, offering travel advice.

A source who viewed an internal company website said that Amazon provided guidance to employees who were clearly affected on the 20th, stating that current H-1B visa holders do not need to take any action. Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gary Cohen, vice chairman of International Business Machines (IBM), said on CBS' "Face the Nation" television program, "I think this caused panic over the weekend because people are unsure what will happen to existing H-1B visas."

Within hours of Trump announcing the order, social media platforms were flooded with debates about the scope of the order, with many expressing frustration, believing this move weakened the appeal of the US as a work destination.

An anonymous social media user said their life was like a "H-1B slave." This person cut short their vacation in Tokyo and rushed back to the US, calling it a "Fast and Furious-style reality" centered around returning to the US.

A Nvidia engineer who has lived in the US for 10 years told a reporter at San Francisco Airport that he and his wife were on vacation in Japan when he heard the news and quickly rearranged his return flight.

He said, "It feels unrealistic; everything changed in an instant."

According to the Central News Agency in Taiwan, on the evening of September 20, US President Trump signed an executive order raising the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000.

The White House later explained that the new fee would not affect existing visa holders or those applying for renewals, but would first apply to new applicants participating in the H-1B visa lottery. (Translation by Wang Qun)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7553176014903902763/

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