Overview

• President Trump issued a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions just hours before Emirates EK226 was set to depart San Francisco for Dubai.
• Video from the cabin captured the pilot inviting passengers to offload if they did not wish to travel, a move that is atypical after boarding.
• Flight-tracking data shows the A380 departed SFO at 8:20 p.m. local time, more than three hours late, following the disruption.
• Subsequent statements reported that the new charge would not apply to existing H-1B holders, easing some immediate concerns.
• Bloomberg reported that major tech employers initially cautioned staff against international travel as uncertainty spread about the policy’s scope.