Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Sep 20: Microsoft has advised its H-1B and H-4 visa employees to return to the United States immediately, ahead of the September 21 deadline announced by President Donald Trump. The advisory comes after the imposition of a $100,000 annual fee on the H-1B visa program, according to an internal email reviewed by Reuters.

The tech giant further instructed H-1B visa holders already in the US to continue working in the country “for the foreseeable future,” while strongly recommending H-4 visa holders also remain in the US. “Strongly recommend H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US tomorrow before the deadline,” the email stated.

The memo follows similar guidance from JPMorgan, which also advised its visa employees abroad to return before 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the new rules, calling them a corrective measure aimed at filtering out lower-paid workers while generating over $100 billion in revenue for the US Treasury. President Trump stated the funds would help reduce national debt and lower taxes.

The announcement has major implications for India, which accounts for roughly 71% of H-1B visa holders, primarily in the IT sector. Companies such as Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tata Consultancy Services rely on the program to place engineers on US projects. The $100,000 fee could make retaining Indian professionals prohibitively expensive, especially given long Green Card waits.

Following the news, shares of US-listed Indian IT firms fell between 2% and 5%. Critics say the move could hamper talent mobility and innovation, while supporters argue it will prevent wage suppression and encourage investment in American graduates.