Microsoft employee. Reuters Yonhap News. 

Major technology companies have urgently advised their employees holding 'professional visas' (H-1B) to avoid international travel and remain in the United States, as the U.S. Donald Trump administration decided to significantly increase the H-1B visa fees to $100,000 per person (approximately 140 million won), according to a Bloomberg report on the 21st (local time).

Microsoft (MS), Google, and Amazon, among others, sent emails to their employees notifying them to return to the U.S. and cancel travel plans before the new visa regulations announced by the Trump administration on the 19th take effect.

As controversy grew following the announcement of the new regulations, the White House attempted to de-escalate the situation by stating that the significantly increased fees would only apply to new visas and would not affect the entry and exit of existing visa holders from the U.S. However, Bloomberg reported that as uncertainty surrounding the application and enforcement of this system grew, confusion and anxiety spread across companies nationwide.

Consequently, companies and immigration lawyers are advising H-1B visa holders to act with caution.

Following the Trump administration's announcement on the 19th, MS advised its H-1B visa employees to "remain in the United States for the time being."

In an additional email, MS warned employees that while the White House's explanation "will currently guarantee the return of colleagues who are abroad for important personal reasons," there "may be some confusion at immigration checkpoints over the next few days."

Visa holders are shocked and confused by the sudden change in regulations.

Lauren, 34, who was planning to move from the UK to the San Francisco Bay Area to start a new engineering job, had already packed her bags, sold her car, rented out her home, and said goodbye to family and friends at the time of the executive order signing.

However, she stated that she received advice from the company's immigration lawyers to "stay in the UK while awaiting further information."

A Google employee canceled a planned trip to Tokyo to visit family following the White House announcement, and Amazon recommended that holders of H-4 visas, issued to spouses and children of H-1B holders, also remain in the U.S.

According to USCIS data, the company that received the most H-1B visas in fiscal year 2025, which began in October of last year, up to June 30 of this year, was 'Amazon.com' with 10,044 visas.

When including its affiliates, the cloud company 'Amazon Web Services' (AWS) and 'Amazon Development Center US', Amazon's H-1B visa allocation this year exceeds 14,000.

Tata Consultancy, an information technology (IT) services and consulting company headquartered in Mumbai, India (5,505 visas), was second, followed by MS (5,198 visas), Meta (5,123 visas), Apple (4,202 visas), and Google (4,181 visas).

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