Overview

• President Donald Trump’s proclamation took effect Sunday, with officials clarifying it is a one‑time fee for new applications and that current H‑1B holders and renewals are exempt.
• Tech giants including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google urged employees to stay in the U.S. or return quickly, and reports described disrupted trips and flight delays as workers rushed back.
• India’s foreign ministry formally objected and warned of humanitarian consequences for families, noting Indians account for roughly 71% of H‑1B beneficiaries.
• Nasscom said Indian companies will further increase local U.S. hiring and upskilling to reduce reliance on H‑1Bs and projected only a marginal impact on the sector.
• Analysts warned the fee could push R&D and engineering work to hubs like Toronto, London, Bangalore and the Gulf, while confusion over earlier conflicting statements keeps legal and operational uncertainty high.